Integrating Data Analysis Techniques into the Science Classroom
Author: Natalie Stagnitti
Overview and Purpose
This course is designed to provide science educators with resources to help them successfully teach their students how to analyze and interpret data. With NGSS and NYSSLS creating changes in science education, science teachers are tasked with incorporating Science and Engineering Practices (SEP) into their curriculum. Throughout this course, learners will learn about how SEP#: Analyzing and Interpreting Data relates to the students that they teach as well as strategies and tools for implementation. The course will end with the adaptation of an existing lesson plan to include some of the skills and techniques learned in the course. This course is designed to help every educator on his/her individual science teaching journey!
Needs Assessment
New York State has begun adopting the New York State Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS) in 2023, which brings a significant shift in teaching and learning in science. With NYSSLS, new to the science teaching repertoire are the eight Science and Engineering Practices (SEP). SEP #4 is "Analyzing and Interpreting Data," a skill that is difficult for a lot of educated scientists and educators themselves. Educators around the state are looking for resources to support them in teaching these challenging skills. There is a need for quality trainings on how to teach the SEP and get students (and teachers) really comfortable with these skills in the science classroom.
Performance Objectives
After completing this mini-course, learners will be able to:
- Explain the significance of teaching P-12 students how to analyze and interpret data and how it relates to their own students and classroom.
- Construct clear and effective guidelines for students to follow when interpreting diverse data sets.
- Develop a lesson plan that introduces students to the data analysis skills and techniques that will be used in the classroom.
- Modify existing lesson plans and laboratory activities to include opportunity for students to practice data analysis at the appropriate level.
- Create authentic learning experiences throughout the target course curriculum for students to practice the skills involved in analyzing and interpreting data and apply them to a variety of situations.
Course Units
This mini-course includes the following units. Click the title of a unit to go to its page.
Unit 1: Unpacking and Understanding the Standard
This unit is focused on diving into Science and Engineering Practice #4: Analyzing and Interpreting Data. Learners investigate the state and national standards for SEP4 and consider how the expectations at each grade level relate to the bordering grade levels. This will be followed with a space for reflection where learners will gather their thoughts, report what they have learned, and prepare to work on tools for implementing the standard.
Unit 2: Testing Tools & Learning Strategies
Here, learners are given the space to try out various tools and strategies that they may use with their students for developing SEP4. Learners will get a feel for the different teaching strategies that exist for analyzing and interpreting data and experience new ways of learning that they could provide for their students. Learners should begin to brainstorm lessons where these tools could be used to provide experiences for analyzing and interpreting data.
Unit 3: Developing Clear and Explicit Expectations
Keeping in mind the benchmarks for the standard at the appropriate grade level, learners will now consider the guidelines that they will provide for their students when interpreting and analyzing data. It is important to provide clear and explicit instructions and expectations for students as they build skills in the classroom. Learners will create a rubric or Google slides document for students to reference which outlines the criteria for success when analyzing and interpreting data.
Unit 4: Transforming an Existing Lesson Plan
Learners will put together knowledge from the previous 3 units to create or modify an existing lesson plan. The lesson plan will include space to deliver the clear and explicit instructions from Unit 3 and incorporate data analysis using one of the tools from Unit 2. Learners will submit the lesson plan along with a course reflection as they complete the course.
Get started with Unit 1: Unpacking and Understanding the Standard!