Unit 2: Testing Tools & Learning Strategies

Case Study

Ms. Andi Graphen has a better understanding of what her students are expected to know and be able to do when analyzing and interpreting data. She now wants to find effective ways to help her students develop these skills.

Ms. Graphen knows that simply asking students to "analyze the data" is not enough. Students need opportunities to work with different types of data, use appropriate tools to represent and examine data, and practice strategies for identifying patterns, trends, and relationships. She also wants to find approaches that will allow her students to actively engage in analyzing and interpreting data rather than simply receiving explanations from the teacher.

In this unit, you will explore different tools and learning strategies that can be used to help students develop SEP4: Analyzing and Interpreting Data. As you explore the resources, think about how you might use them with your own students.

Performance Objectives

At the end of this unit, learners will be able to:

Identify tools and learning strategies that can support students in analyzing and interpreting data.
Describe how different tools and strategies can provide opportunities for students to practice SEP4.
Evaluate the potential usefulness of different tools and strategies for their own students and teaching context.
Begin to develop ideas for incorporating data analysis activities into their own lessons.

Before You Start...

Return to your KWL document from Unit 1. Review what you wrote in the "Learned" column and think about the grade band and expectations for SEP4 that apply to your students.

Before exploring the tools and strategies in this unit, consider:

What types of data do my students currently work with?
What difficulties do my students experience when analyzing or interpreting data?
What tools do I currently use to help students work with data?
What additional tools or strategies might make data analysis more meaningful and accessible to my students?

Mini-Lecture

Analyzing and interpreting data involves more than simply looking at numbers or creating a graph. Students need opportunities to work with data in meaningful contexts and to develop strategies for identifying patterns, comparing representations, making claims, and using evidence to support their interpretations.

Different tools can support different aspects of this process. Some tools allow students to organize and represent data visually. Others provide opportunities to manipulate data, explore patterns, or investigate relationships. Learning strategies can also help students make sense of unfamiliar data and communicate what they discover.

The goal is not to find one "best" tool. Instead, teachers should consider the learning goals, the type of data, the developmental level of their students, and the kinds of thinking they want students to practice.

Activity: Explore Tools and Learning Strategies

Work through the following materials and activities. As you explore each resource, pay attention not only to what the tool can do, but also to the kinds of thinking and learning it makes possible for students.

Tool/Strategy 1

Explore the first data-analysis tool or learning resource provided for this unit.

As you work through the activity, consider:

What can students do with this tool?
What kinds of data can students analyze?
What SEP4 skills can students practice?
What might students find difficult?
How could a teacher support students in using this tool effectively?

Reflection:

Describe one way that you could use this tool or strategy with your own students.

Tool/Strategy 2

Explore the second data-analysis tool or learning resource provided for this unit.

As you work through the activity, consider:

How does this tool differ from the first tool?
What kinds of data representations can students create or examine?
What opportunities does the tool provide for students to identify patterns or relationships?
How might the tool support students in explaining what they see in the data?

Reflection:

Describe one possible classroom activity in which your students could use this tool.

Tool/Strategy 3

Explore the third data-analysis tool or learning strategy provided for this unit.

Consider:

What does this resource allow students to do?
Which students might benefit most from this approach?
What teacher guidance would students need?
What limitations or challenges might you encounter?

Reflection:

Explain whether you would consider using this tool or strategy in your classroom and why.

Compare the Tools and Strategies

After exploring the resources, compare the tools and strategies you investigated.

Consider the following questions:

Which tool or strategy would be most appropriate for your students?
Which would provide the strongest opportunity for students to actively analyze and interpret data?
Which would be easiest for you to implement?
Which would provide the greatest opportunity for students to explore different representations of data?
What teacher support would students need?
What limitations should you consider?

You may organize your thinking using a table such as the one below:

Tool/Strategy	What students can do	SEP4 skills supported	Strengths	Potential challenges	Possible classroom use
Tool/Strategy 1
Tool/Strategy 2
Tool/Strategy 3

Apply What You Learned

Return to Ms. Graphen's situation.

Ms. Graphen wants her students to investigate the changes they have noticed in the school's bee population. She plans to use public datasets as part of the investigation.

Based on what you have learned in this unit:

Which tool or strategy would you recommend that Ms. Graphen use?
What would students do with the tool?
What data would students analyze?
What would students be expected to notice, compare, or interpret?
How would the activity support SEP4 at the appropriate grade level?

Begin Planning Your Own Lesson

Begin brainstorming a lesson or learning activity in which your students could practice analyzing and interpreting data.

Your initial idea does not need to be a complete lesson plan. Consider:

The grade level and subject area
The phenomenon, question, or topic
The type of data students would examine
The tool or strategy students would use
What students would be expected to do with the data
How the activity connects to the SEP4 expectations identified in Unit 1

Save your ideas because you will use them in the later units of this mini-course.

Reflection

After completing the activities in this unit, reflect on the following:

What did you learn about tools and strategies for teaching students to analyze and interpret data?
Which tool or strategy do you think would be most useful for your students? Why?
What challenges might students encounter when using these tools?
What kind of teacher guidance or scaffolding might students need?
How might you incorporate one of these tools or strategies into a lesson you already teach?

Extended Resources

Additional resources for teaching students to analyze and interpret data may be added here as they are recovered from the original course materials.

Navigation

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