Title: The Heat Tracking Activity

Other Curriculum Objectives that can be addressed by this lesson plan

English Language Arts: 2.1, 2.3, 4.1;Mathematics: (Gr 7) 1.1, 1.2, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.4; Science: (Gr.7) 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 2.13, 3.3; Computer Skills: (Gr. 7) 2.3

Grade: 7

Competency 2.3: Use a prepared spreadsheet to enter and edit data and explain the results of the changes.

Measure 2.3.1: Given a prepared spreadsheet, enter the temperatures taken from various parts of the classroom and discuss the resulting data.

Materials Needed: Transparency of Introduction to Spreadsheets #4 black line master; six thermometers and tape; transparencies of the Thermometer Placement, Temperature Hypothesis Worksheet, and Analysis Spreadsheet black line masters; six copies of the Temperature Hypothesis Worksheet black line master; 8.5X11 signs; computer with prepared spreadsheet file. (file=TEMPCOMP)

Time: Three class sessions.

Terms: Column, Row, Cell, Label, Value, Formula, Edit, Enter

Grade 7 Glossary

Pre-Activities:

1. Review spreadsheet concepts of: row, column, cell, values, labels, and formulas.
2. Project the Introduction to Spreadsheets #4 transparency for the class to see and ask the class to answer the following questions:

• Where is the word Bread? Cell B3
• Where is the price of milk? Cell C5
• What column holds the prices? Column C
• Where is the formula of this spreadsheet? Cell C6
• What is the formula? =C2+C3+C4+C5 or =SUM(C2...C5)
• Is Jelly a label or a value? Label

Tape six thermometers to the walls of your classroom along with 8.5x11 signs (locations A, B, C, D, E, F) in the locations described in the Thermometer Placement black line master.

Activity 1 Hypotheses

1. Explain to the class that they are going to be using a computer spreadsheet to test some hypotheses about the behavior of heat in their classroom.
2. Project the transparency of the Thermometer Placement black line master. Describe the locations of each thermometer. Explain that you want the students to make some hypotheses of how the temperatures in the classroom will change from location to location and from the beginning to the end of the school day.
3. Divide the class into groups of three or four students and label them alphabetically from "A" to "F". Hand out copies of the Temperature Hypotheses Worksheet black line master to each group and project a transparency of this handout.
4. Explain that each group is to read each of the questions for their group and develop a hypothesis about heat related to the question: if the temperature would be "higher" or "lower."
5. Explain that they must also be able to explain their hypotheses. Give the groups about 15 minutes to answer their questions and compose their justification.
6. Ask a representative from each group to report their answers/hypotheses and justification. Give the class an opportunity to react to each group's hypotheses. Record the hypotheses on the transparency using an erasable transparency marker.

Activity 2: Data Collection

1. Project a transparency of the Analysis Spreadsheet black line master and use it to help describe each section of the spreadsheet. Explain that they will enter the actual temperatures into the spreadsheet tomorrow. Assign each group a time to read one of the thermometers.

a.The Data Table is where the temperature data was entered into the spreadsheet.

b.The Result Table: A calculates a comparison between each location and the same location at other times. The values in the table represent the number of degrees higher or lower than the mean (average) of all times at the same location. For instance, a value of -2 for location "B" during period "2" means that location "B" was 2 degrees below the mean temperature of all periods at location "B".

c.The Result Table: B calculates a comparison between each reading and all other readings during the same time. The values in the table represent the number of degrees higher or lower than the mean (average) of all locations at that time. For instance, a value of 1.8 for location "B" during period "4" means that location "B" was a half degree more than the mean of all locations during period "4". Negative numbers indicate that the temperature was below the room mean.

2. Have a computer set up in the classroom running the spreadsheet file TempComp. During the day have students check the temperatures at their assigned site and enter the temperatures into the TEMPCOMP spreadsheet.

Activity 3: Data Analysis

Print out the TempComp spreadsheet and make copies for each group.

1. Divide the class into the groups that were designated during Activity 1. Project a transparency of Analysis Spreadsheet black line master and review each section of the spreadsheet.
2. Ask each group to examine the spreadsheet printout and determine if their hypotheses were supported by the data. Discuss as a total group any major differences in the hypothesis and the results that are discovered.
3. Ask each group to design another experiment assuming that they have all the money and materials needed to further test their hypotheses. They should describe the data that would be generated by the experiment and how a computer spreadsheet would be used to manage the data. Have a representative of each group report their conclusions and briefly describe their experiment. Measure

Students will collect temperature readings every hour during the day and enter them into a prepared spreadsheet that calculates the average temperature. Students will discuss the resulting data.