Pennies Collected September 923 October 946 November 935 December 919 January 945 February 931 March 922 April 941

They made a graph in Excel showing the number of pennies collected.

Discuss with class whether it looks like the number of pennies was about the same or very different from month to month.

Then show this graph.

Have students discuss how the same data could give such different results. Wait until they realize the scale is the difference. Discuss why changing the view or presentation of information can be misleading.

Have students do a survey where the data would be in a limited range, such as the height in inches of the students in the class. Have them use Excel to graph the data. Show them how to change the scale and have them create two graphs that tell“different stories.”

Essential Question: What prediction can you make about a tree’s height based on its circumference?

1. Students measure the circumference of 10-15 trees in their home/school environment.
2. Students use one of the following two methods to determine the height of the trees.
3. Students enter height and circumference data into an Excel spreadsheet.
4. Students graph both sets of data to determine whether there is a consistent relationship between the sets of data and, if so, to identify the relationship.

Method 1: Determining the Height of a Tree Based on its Shadow.
On a sunny day, push a straight stick upright into the soil. Measure the height of the stick above the ground, and then measure its shadow. Now measure the shadow of a tree from the base of the trunk to the "top" of the shadow. Use the following formula:

H = (S * h)/s
H = height of tree
S = Shadow length of tree
h = height of stick
s = shadow length of stick

Method 2: Determining the Height of a Tree Based on a Transit Protractor
Make your own transit with a protractor.
Materials needed:
-protractor
-straws
-weight-like a washer
-string
-tape

Tie 12 inches of string to the washer and tie it to the center of the flat side of the protractor. Tape a straw to the flat side of the protractor.

Stand 10 meters away from the base of the tree, hold the straw up to your eye and measure the angle on the protractor when the straw is pointed at the top of the tree. Measure your height to your eyeball and use the formula below and a calculator to determine the height of the tree.

Degrees shown in the protractor X 10 + person’s height from ground to eye level = Tree height

Example:
The protractor shows 26 degrees
The persons height to eye level in inches = 49 inches

26 X 10 + 49 = 309 inches = 25 feet 9 inches

Example #1

Essential Question: What message about priorities are magazines giving young people today?

1. Discuss the concept of magazines having a target audience by asking students to identify magazines read by certain groups …. boys 12-18, women 40-55.

2. Have students brainstorm a list of magazines they read on a fairly consistent basis.

3. Create/or let students create groups of 3-4 students who will select one magazine title (People, 17, Sports Illustrated) that is common in their age group. Caution should be used in allowing publications not appropriate for students in this age group regardless of whether they read them outside of school.

4. Ask students to bring in at least three editions of the magazine. They can be outdated. After briefly reviewing the magazines, have students prepare a brief statement about the media messages that are presented and what priorities the magazine is supporting (appearance, health, materials possessions, expensive clothing).

5. Ask each group to develop categories for sorting both the articles and advertisements.

6. Using Excel, ask students to create spreadsheets categorizing first the articles and then the advertisements. All three copies of the magazine should be recorded and an average of the three taken using the function abilities of the program.

7. Ask each group to prepare a presentation using charts/graphs developed in Excel to expose the magazines' marketing plan.

Example #2

Essential Question: How does what we drink affect our health?

We see them advertised everywhere. Their names are familiar: Gatorade, Mountain Dew, Vitamin Water and Red Bull. Professional athletes gulp them after exercising, movie stars carry them wherever they go and we drink them when we are hanging out with our friends. Have you ever wondered what’s really in these beverages? Did you ever think they could be bad for you? Surely advertisers wouldn’t misrepresent their products!

1. Create an Excel spreadsheet to keep a “beverage diary” for one week. Record the brand name, flavor, type of sweetener, total ounces of beverage, ounces consumed and date/time of consumption. Make sure to record any water (tap or bottled) that you drink, too.

2. Now it ’s time to measure the amount of sweetener you consumed during the week. You will need to bring a new bottle of each type of beverage you recorded (to save time and money students can share beverages and data). Begin with an empty pot and weigh it.  Create an Excel spreadsheet to record the weight. Pour the beverage into the pot and boil it until all of the water has evaporated and you are left with a sticky syrup. Re-weigh the pot and record the weight on your spreadsheet. Wash and dry the pot thoroughly and follow the same process for each type of beverage. If someone in your class completed the procedure for one of your beverages, feel free to ask them to share their data. Record the data on your spreadsheet.

3. Create a “sum” function in Excel to calculate the total number of grams of sweetener consumed each day and for the entire week. Insert a “percentile” function to calculate the percent of sweetener for each beverage. Make sure to calculate the consumption of sugar-based beverages and artificial sweeteners separately and as a total.

4. Use Excel to create a graph that correlates the amount of sweetener consumed and the time of day.  Make sure to label whether the beverage contained sugar or an artificial sweetener.

Look at your data and answer the following questions:

• What trends do you see in the time of day you are consuming the most beverages?
• How does the time of consumption correlate with your level of energy?
• How does the amount of sweetener consumed relate to your BMI (body mass index)?
• How does the amount of sugary beverages relate to the amount of cavities you have? Your classmates?
• How do artificial sweeteners compare with sugar-based beverages?

What recommendations would you make to the manufacturers of these drinks about how they are representing their products?

5. Extensions: 

• Have students track their BMI and beverage intake for one month. Challenge them to decrease their BMI by making better choices when selecting what to drink.
• Have students keep a diary of their energy levels while they are making healthier choices. What changes do they notice?

Example #1

Essential Question: How can I visually represent mathematical equations including scatter plots linear regression (trendlines), and regression equations to determine slope and intercept?

Use the following tutorial to learn the steps to representing equation in Excel.

Tutorial

Follow-up (This is where higher order thinking is involved)
Essential Question: What trends become evident when evaluating the first place finishing times of men and women who ran the Boston and New York marathons?

Example #2

Essential Question: How does the cost of fuel affect my daily choices?

Every day it seems as though newscasters are reporting that the price of a barrel of oil has set a new record. We watch discouragingly as the price of gasoline spins out of control. No longer can we afford to fill up our gas-guzzling vehicles. We are forced to make choices between food, medicine and fuel. Is there anything we can do to ease the financial burden and still purchase what we need?

1. In order to save money you have to know how much you are currently spending. Use Excel to help you calculate how much it costs to operate your vehicle on an annual basis (based on 15,000 miles). Make sure to include the cost of insurance, oil (changed every 3,000 miles), fuel (current average price per gallon), tires, licensing and registration fees.

2. Create a graph that represents the variety of fuel options available for vehicles found in today’s market and the estimated mpg for both city and highway driving.

3. Use Excel to create a spreadsheet that represents data about the types of technology available in vehicles from the major car companies. Make sure to include the type of system, type of fuel used, estimated mpg, cost of vehicle, driving tips and any known problems/benefits with the system. Use this data to help you calculate how much it costs to operate each vehicle on an annual basis.

4. Analyze all data and create a plan that outlines the most economical and fuel efficient choice for purchasing a new vehicle. Include information about annual costs savings and why you think this is the best choice for families. Create a website with your findings for potential buyers to view.