Good versus bad data. Pairs rate online collections of data representations from good to bad and then suggest ways to improve the visualizations. The class then creates a list of best practices and common errors in data representations...

A research position becomes a modeling job. The introductory lesson in a series of nine presents the challenge of analyzing a set of bivariate data. The class brainstorms what the data may represent. Pupils must decide what is needed to...

Here's the perfect lesson for those who think the world needs faster pumps. Building on the previous activity, scholars work to make the pumps function faster in transferring water between containers. They try adding an additional solar...

Mass and density — aren't they the same thing? This activity has groups use balance beams and water displacement to measure several objects. The pupils use the measurements to calculate the density of the objects. 

Fifth graders examine line, bar and circle graphs in the newspaper and on the Internet. They complete sketches of graphs with an emphasis on selecting the best model to depict the data collected.

Students explore measurement. They use appropriate units of measurement for different sized objects. Students collect their data and enter it into an Excel data base. They graph their findings and analyze their outcomes.

Eighth graders discover the relationship between speed, distance, and time. They calculate speed and represent their data graphically. They, in groups, design a ramp for their matchbox car. The goal is to see who's ramp produces the...

First graders sort Valentine candies according to kind. Data is inserted into a spreadsheet and displayed in various graphic formats.

Students explore ways to protect the earth.  For this environmental issues and technology lesson, students investigate the water quality in their community and compare their findings to the water quality in other geographic...

Fifth graders study environmental changes by examining the annual rings of a cross-section of a tree trunk. They access websites to complete a worksheet on the parts of a tree. They count the annual rings on a tree slice while observing...

Students create graphs using information from spreadsheets. They select a topic from the following choices: website use, digital cameras, spreadsheets, calculators or educational software. They tally the class results and create an...

Students discuss their computer skills. They compare where they learned them, if boys learn them more easily, if they plan to become computer professionals, and differences in how boys and girls go about solving computer questions.