Comparing Temperatures Using Spreadsheet



Comparing Temperatures Using Spreadsheet

Software: Microsoft Excel

Grade level: Middle School

Curriculum Area: Math, Science, and Technology

Length of Lesson: One forty-minute computer lab session

NETS Standards and Performance Indicators

• Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity (3).

• Students use tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works (3).

• Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources (5).

• Students use technology tools to process data and report results (5).

LA Standards and Benchmarks;

Math

• D-1-M Systematically collecting, organizing, describing, and displaying data in charts, tables, plots, graphs, and/or spreadsheets;  

• D-6-M Demonstrating the connection of data analysis, probability, and discrete math to other strands and to real-life situations.  

Science

• ESS-E-A4 investigating, observing, measuring, and describing changes in daily weather patterns.

Lesson Goals:

• Students will have an understanding of variations in temperature.

• Students will collect and organize data.

• Students will make predications from displayed data.

Lesson Objectives

• To learn to organize and record information.

• To practice the use of spreadsheets.

• To review the vocabulary words spreadsheets, columns, rows, and cells.

• To practice calculating averages.

Assessment

The accurate completion of the spreadsheet printout may be a standard form of

evaluation, but it may not be the most appropriate one.  A point-based assessment

rubric will be used to evaluate each student’s printout and work.  Students will be given a copy of the rubric prior to the activity.

Technology Connection: Students will use Microsoft Excel in the PC lab. It may be necessary to couple students; ideally each student should have their own computer. Use of the internet will be required to access some data for the activity.

Prior Knowledge required by both technology and curriculum

• The students have been introduced to the use of spreadsheets and the mathematical

concept of average.

• Students have used the internet to access information.

• Students should understand the basic concepts of graphs.

Procedure:

1. Students will receive a template to follow so they will enter data correctly

2. Class will review spreadsheet vocabulary: cells, rows, columns, and formulas.

3. Students will log on to the internet and search for 5 day forecast of three cities in different regions of the country. A local city must be included.

4. Students may use the following link, or access a site they are familiar with.

5. Using the calculator under Accessories, calculate the average temperature by dividing the sum of the high and low by two. Round to the nearest whole number.

6. Record the average temperature for the 5 days on the data sheet.

7. Open the Microsoft Excel Temperature template and enter data.

8. Replace the letters A, B, C with the cities you have selected.

9. In the firs date cell (B3) enter the current date. Highlight the next 5 cells then use the fill series function under the Edit menu.

10. Enter the temperature data for the cities you’ve chosen.

11. To calculate average click in the cell under the last city temperature for the first day (B8). Type the following formula =average (B5:B7) Format the number in the cell to the nearest whole number. Highlight the five cells and use the fill shortcut Control R. This will copy the formula to the highlighted cells.

12. To calculate the 5 day average click in the cell (G5) type the formula =average (B5:F5) Highlight the cell to be averaged and use the fill shortcut Control D.

13. Highlight cells A3 to F7 and click on the graph icon. Choose a multiple line graph.

14. Graphs should always have a title and both x and y axis must be labeled.

15. The scale of the temperature axis should be set 5 degrees lower than the minimum and 5 degrees higher than the maximum.

16. If time permits students my change the appearance of their graph by changing colors, etc.

17. Print hard copy of graph.

18. Students will work with partner to answer follow up questions.

19. Class will discuss as a whole.

Management Skills

• During activity I will monitor students and check for understanding.

• Students will have a template to follow which will help in uniformity.

• Website given to help manage time.

• Review spreadsheet vocabulary before beginning activity.

Materials

• Evaluation rubric

• Direction sheet

• Spreadsheet template

• Computers with Excel software

• Printed form of spreadsheet

• student recorded weather information

• calculators

• pencils

Extensions

• Students could collect data during a longer period of time and record on a poster in class.

• The high and low temperature of each city can be recorded and graphed using a bar graph.

• Students could research for the record highs and lows for the cities they selected.

• Students could compare forecast predictions with actual forecast

Higher Order Thinking skills:

• Students can make predictions and make their own forecast and follow up to see how precise they are.

• Students can analyzes patterns in weather and make predictions.

• Students will evaluate temperature scale to determine scale of graph.

• Students could discuss variations for the activity.

Reflection:

The students were eager to find the temperature of their cities. Some students were not as apt at using the spreadsheet so I found the template to be more effective. It is important to stress to students that they are only to use the internet to find the temperature data. For uniformity students could gather data daily and record on a poster in classroom. This would provide more time for working on Excel. I think Excel is a great program to use in the math class, and I plan to integrate other lessons using spreadsheets. The graphs can be looked at extensively as students discover patterns and series.

Effective and Efficient:

This lesson could be done in paper and pencil, although the use of technology may make the experience more meaningful for students. The daily temperatures could be found in the newspaper but it is important to teach children to access the wealth of information on the internet. It would not be as effective teaching this lesson in a one computer classroom, although students could be involved over a period of time collecting the data. Students must learn to study and analyze graphs and recognize patterns and I feel the graphs made in a spreadsheet program will make it more meaningful for them.

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