Practice 1

Asking questions and defining problems

Next Generation Science Standards

Materials related to this Standard

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An Introduction to Stream Ecology: video worksheet

An Introduction to Stream Ecology: video worksheet

Details

Students diagram the stream macroinvertebrate community based on the information in the introductory video and answer a few questions.

Topics:

Constructing explanations, Earth's Surface Systems, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Natural Selection and Adaptations, Systems and System Models

Skills:

modeling, thinking about patterns

Handout for:

An Introduction to Stream Ecology

Anatomy of a box plot

Anatomy of a box plot

Details

Slide presentation explaining the anatomy of a box and whisker plot, how to use them to compare two groups, and useful vocabulary.

Grades:

6, 7, 8, 9+

Subjects:

Earth Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Weather and Climate

Statistical Concepts:

Group comparison, Variability

Skills:

Comparing groups, Describing variability, graphing data

Graph Types:

Box plot, Frequency plot

Teacher Instructional or Primer for:

Data Presentation

Data Literacy Instructional for:

Practice correlating with precipitation data

Practice comparing groups with Belfast temperature data

Practice comparing groups with Cell Phone data

Practice comparing groups: Chromosome Number data

Practice comparing groups with Gas Price data

Practice comparing groups with high tide data

Practice comparing groups: House Insulation and Temperature data

Practice comparing groups: Maine lake fish data

Practice comparing groups with midge data

Practice comparing groups: Reaction Time data

Practice comparing groups with AM and PM tide height data

BRI-Mercury Connections

Details

A 28-page article on mercury in the environment; with emphasis on effects on wildlife.

Grades:

Topics:

Cause and Effect, Energy and Matter in Systems, Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems, Stability and Change of Systems, Systems and System Models

Skills:

reading primary literature

Handout for:

Why do we Care about Mercury?

The Road to Toxicity

Mapping U.S. Mercury Emissions

Toxicology and Living Systems

Outlining the project

Mercury in our study site, and how does it move?

Culvert lesson: questions worksheet

Details

A worksheet to use when building a background understanding to start developing questions for research.

Grades:

Topics:

Human Impacts, Systems and System Models

Skills:

information gathering and interpreting, asking questions, experimental design

Handout for:

Culvert Activity

Habitat Connectivity

Stream invertebrates

The stream environment

An Introduction to Stream Ecology

Habitat Connectivity lesson: video worksheet

Details

Students add to a stream diagram based on the information in the Habitat Connectivity video and answer a few questions.

Grades:

Topics:

Human Impacts, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Earth's Surface Systems, Weather and Climate, Chemical Reactions

Skills:

modeling, thinking about patterns

Handout for:

Habitat Connectivity

Hypothesis, or Scientific Claim, worksheet

Details

A worksheet for students to use to clearly state their hypothesis, or claim, and the reasoning behind that claim (with space for hypothetical graphs).

Grades:

Topics:

Asking questions, Engaging in argument from evidence, Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Skills:

argument, asking questions, communicating, formulating hypotheses, thinking about patterns

Handout for:

Developing research questions and hypotheses

Hypothesis peer review

INSTR 1c. Graph Choice 1 of 3

Details

The Graph Choice Chart: a flow chart to help students decide what kind of graph based on the kind of question asked. 1 of 3

Grades:

6, 7, 8

Topics:

Analyzing and interpreting data

Statistical Concepts:

Statistical questions

Skills:

Graph choice

Graph Types:

Bar graph, Box plot, Dot plot, Frequency plot, Histogram, Line graph, Scatter plot

Data Activity File for:

Practice asking questions with Gas Price data

Data Literacy Instructional for:

Practice asking questions with precipitation data

Practice asking questions with balloon ascent data

Practice asking questions with Gas Price data

Practice asking questions: Solar Panel data

Practice asking questions with Tide Table data

Practice correlating: Chlorophyll and phosphorus in lakes

INSTR 1c. Graph Choice 2 of 3

Details

The Graph Choice Chart: a flow chart to help students decide what kind of graph based on the kind of question asked. 2 of 3

Grades:

6, 7, 8

Topics:

Analyzing and interpreting data

Statistical Concepts:

Statistical questions

Skills:

Graph choice

Graph Types:

Bar graph, Box plot, Dot plot, Frequency plot, Histogram, Line graph, Scatter plot

Data Activity File for:

Practice asking questions with Gas Price data

Data Literacy Instructional for:

Practice asking questions with precipitation data

Practice asking questions with balloon ascent data

Practice asking questions with Gas Price data

Practice asking questions: Solar Panel data

Practice asking questions with Tide Table data

Practice correlating: Chlorophyll and phosphorus in lakes

INSTR 1c. Graph Choice 3 of 3

Details

The Graph Choice Chart: a flow chart to help students decide what kind of graph based on the kind of question asked. 3 of 3

Grades:

6, 7, 8

Topics:

Analyzing and interpreting data

Statistical Concepts:

Statistical questions

Skills:

Graph choice

Graph Types:

Bar graph, Box plot, Dot plot, Frequency plot, Histogram, Line graph, Scatter plot

Data Literacy Instructional for:

Practice correlating: Chlorophyll and phosphorus in lakes

Language for asking questions

Language for asking questions

Details

Handout with sample phrasings for questions about variability, comparing groups, correlations and time series.

Grades:

6, 7, 8

Topics:

Asking questions

Statistical Concepts:

Statistical questions

Skills:

Asking statistical questions

Graph Types:

Bar graph, Box plot, Dot plot, Frequency plot, Histogram, Line graph, Scatter plot

Teacher Instructional or Primer for:

Data Presentation

Data Activity File for:

Practice asking questions with Gas Price data

Data Literacy Instructional for:

Practice asking questions with precipitation data

Practice asking questions with balloon ascent data

Practice asking questions with Gas Price data

Practice asking questions: Solar Panel data

Practice asking questions with Tide Table data

Language for describing time series

Details

A helpful document with language for describing and discussing time series data.

Types of Instruction:

Data Interpretation

Grades:

6, 7, 8, 9+

Topics:

Analyzing and interpreting data, Engaging in argument from evidence, Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information, Patterns

Statistical Concepts:

Time series, Variability

Skills:

argument, Correlations, interpreting data, Time series

Graph Types:

Time series

Data Literacy Instructional for:

Practice time series with Bald Eagle data

Practice time series with earthquake data

Practice time series with Gas Price data

Practice time series: House Insulation and Temperature data

Practice time series with Moon Phase data

Practice time series: Pen Bay Buoy Air-Water Temperature data

Practice time series with tide speed data

Practice time series with Penobscot River Flow data

Language for describing variability

Details

A helpful document with language for describing variability in a dataset.

Grades:

6, 7, 8, 9+

Topics:

Analyzing and interpreting data, Engaging in argument from evidence, Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information, Patterns

Statistical Concepts:

Group comparison, Variability

Skills:

analyzing data, Describing variability, graphing data, interpreting data

Graph Types:

Box plot, Dot plot, Frequency plot

Teacher Instructional or Primer for:

Data Presentation

Data Literacy Instructional for:

Practice describing variability with earthquake data

Practice describing variability with hurricane duration data

Practice describing variability with hurricane wind speeds data

Practice comparing groups with Belfast temperature data

Practice describing variability with tide height data

Practice comparing groups with Cell Phone data

Practice comparing groups: Chromosome Number data

Practice comparing groups with Gas Price data

Practice comparing groups with high tide data

Practice comparing groups: House Insulation and Temperature data

Practice comparing groups: Maine lake fish data

Practice comparing groups with midge data

Practice comparing groups: Reaction Time data

Practice comparing groups with AM and PM tide height data

Macroinvertebrate guide

Details

Guide to identifying stream macroinvertebrates

Grades:

Topics:

Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Natural Selection and Adaptations, Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

classifying, observing

Handout for:

Stream invertebrates

Experimental Design--Culvert Project

Experimental Design - Mercury Project

Mercury in our study site, and how does it move?

Mercury in the Environment: A Volatile Problem

Details

An 18-page article on mercury in the environment.

Topics:

Cause and Effect, Energy and Matter in Systems, Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems, Stability and Change of Systems, Systems and System Models

Skills:

reading primary literature

Handout for:

Why do we Care about Mercury?

The Road to Toxicity

Mapping U.S. Mercury Emissions

Toxicology and Living Systems

Outlining the project

Mercury in our study site, and how does it move?

Mini Lesson 1 (PRAC) Acadia and Greenville Precipitation

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Mini Lesson 1 (PRAC) Acadia and Greenville Precipitation

Details

Types of Instruction:

Data Practice

Grades:

6, 7, 8

Subjects:

Earth Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Weather and Climate

Statistical Concepts:

Group comparison

Graph Types:

Dot plot

Data Activity File for:

Practice asking questions with precipitation data

Mini Lesson 1 (PRAC) Balloon Ascent

Details

Types of Instruction:

Data Practice

Grades:

6, 7, 8

Subjects:

Earth Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Weather and Climate

Statistical Concepts:

Correlation, Statistical questions, Variability

Graph Types:

Frequency plot, Line graph, Scatter plot

Data Activity File for:

Practice asking questions with balloon ascent data

Mini Lesson 1 (PRAC) New England Gas Prices

Details

Types of Instruction:

Data Practice

Grades:

6, 7, 8

Subjects:

Social Science

Topics:

Energy

Statistical Concepts:

Statistical questions, Time series

Graph Types:

Line graph

Data Activity File for:

Practice asking questions with Gas Price data

Mini Lesson 1 (PRAC) Solar Panel

Details

Types of Instruction:

Data Practice

Grades:

6, 7, 8

Subjects:

Physical Science

Topics:

Energy

Statistical Concepts:

Statistical questions

Graph Types:

Scatter plot

Data Activity File for:

Practice asking questions: Solar Panel data

Mini Lesson 1 (PRAC) Tide Tables

Details

Types of Instruction:

Data Practice

Grades:

6, 7, 8

Subjects:

Earth Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems

Statistical Concepts:

Statistical questions

Data Activity File for:

Practice asking questions with Tide Table data

Mini Lesson 2 (PRAC) Earthquakes

Details

Types of Instruction:

Data Practice

Grades:

6, 7, 8

Subjects:

Earth Science

Topics:

Earth's Interior Systems

Statistical Concepts:

Statistical questions, Variability

Skills:

Describing variability

Graph Types:

Dot plot

Data Activity File for:

Practice describing variability with earthquake data

Mini Lesson 2 (PRAC) Hurricane Duration

Details

Types of Instruction:

Data Practice

Grades:

6, 7, 8

Subjects:

Earth Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Weather and Climate

Statistical Concepts:

Statistical questions, Variability

Skills:

Describing variability

Graph Types:

Dot plot

Data Activity File for:

Practice describing variability with hurricane duration data

Mini Lesson 2 (PRAC) Hurricane Wind Speeds

Details

Types of Instruction:

Data Practice

Grades:

6, 7, 8

Subjects:

Earth Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Weather and Climate

Statistical Concepts:

Statistical questions, Variability

Skills:

Describing variability

Graph Types:

Dot plot

Data Activity File for:

Practice describing variability with hurricane wind speeds data

Mini Lesson 2 (PRAC) Tide Heights

Details

Types of Instruction:

Data Practice

Grades:

6, 7, 8

Subjects:

Earth Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems

Statistical Concepts:

Variability

Skills:

Describing variability

Graph Types:

Dot plot

Data Activity File for:

Practice describing variability with tide height data

Mini Lesson 3 (PRAC) Chromosome Number - Plants and Animals

Details

Types of Instruction:

Data Practice

Grades:

6, 7, 8

Subjects:

Life Science

Topics:

Inheritance and Variation of Traits

Statistical Concepts:

Group comparison, Variability

Skills:

Comparing groups

Graph Types:

Dot plot

Data Activity File for:

Practice comparing groups: Chromosome Number data

Mini Lesson 3 (PRAC) High Tides

Details

Use this mini lesson with your students to practice interpreting and describing box plots.

Types of Instruction:

Data Practice

Grades:

6, 7, 8

Subjects:

Life Science, Physical Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Energy and Matter in Systems, Waves

Statistical Concepts:

Group comparison, Variability

Skills:

Comparing groups

Graph Types:

Box plot

Data Activity File for:

Practice comparing groups with high tide data