There will be no Math or Health homework this week. Health will be done in class this week. Since the data collection tool, graph, and written results are due on Friday, 11/7/14, I would love it if parents would take the next two days to ensure that their child is caught up in their STEM Fair Journal. Please refer to the example below to help you as you complete this week's required sections.
Data Collection Tool -Please read the information about this section on page 17 of your child's STEM Fair Journal. Then, have your child use the designated space to design a chart or table on page 18 of their STEM Fair Journal.
You will need a place to write down your data as you conduct your trials and make your observations. Your collection tool can be a table, chart, or journal entry system to record your information. It should have the following items:
- a title
- labels to describe the columns or rows
- space for repeated trials ( a minimum of three; more is better)
- space for the calculation of the mean (average) of the data
- all data is collected in METRIC units
Graphs
Once you have completed the data collection tool, you need to create a graph that represents your findings/data. First, read the information in your child's STEM Fair Journal on page 22 about Graphs. It tells which type of graph is most appropriate for each type of experiment. Please select the appropriate graph. You also need to find the mean of your data before graphing. Here's how to find the mean- add up all of your data sets then divide by the total number of data sets. Take a look at the example below:
Model Question- Which temperature of water (hot, luke warm, or cold) mixes into red dye the fastest?
Below is a model of a Data Collection Tool, below it, is how to calculate the mean.
Effect of Temperature on Mixing into Red Dye(title)
Trials Recorded in Seconds
Temperature of Water Trial One Trial Two Trial Three Mean Time
Hot water( 68 degrees C) 35 secs 38 secs 36 secs 36.33 secs
Luke warm (35 degrees C) 42 secs 55 secs 48 secs 48.33 secs
Cold ( -15 degrees C) 95 secs 105 secs 99 secs 99.66 secs
How I calculated the mean for the above data
To determine the mean for the hot water I added 35 + 38 + 36 = 109 Then I divided how many times I mixed red dye into hot water which was 3 times. 109 divided by 3 = 36.33 secs.
To determine the mean for the luke warm water I added 42 + 55 + 48= 145. Then I divided how many times I mixed red dye into luke warm water, which was 3 times. 145 divided by 3 = 48.33 secs.
To determine the mean for the cold water I added 95 + 105 + 99 = 299. Then I divided how many times I mixed red dye into cold water which was 3 times. 299 divided by 3 = 99.66 secs.
When you graph this information, you should ONLY graph the Mean data.
You can input your mean data into the following website and it will create a graph for you that you can print out and submit as your graph. Please ensure that you are selecting the appropriate graph for the type of experiment that you are conducting.
The website to help you create your graph: http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/
Written Explanation
The last part that is due this week is the written explanation. A written explanation gives a brief analysis of the data you collected in your table and displayed visually in your graph. It should be about one paragraph and summarize the data shown in the table and graph. It can include trends you noticed in the data, if any, but it should not be a conclusion. Please have your child complete the written explanation on page 26 of their STEM Fair Journal. You can read my comments when the STEM Fair Journal is returned to you to determine whether or not your written explanation was approved. I will complete the "checked on" and sign the "teacher" section located on the bottom right hand corner of that page.
Below is a model that matches the data that was presented above.
Written Explanation Model
The mean time for all of the trials was under 100 seconds. The longest time was red dye dissolving into cold water, which was 99.66 seconds. The shortest time was red dye dissolving into hot water, which was 36.33 seconds. Since my means were on a wide spectrum, (ranging from 36.33 secs - 99.66 secs) I would say that the trend that I noticed is the colder the water temperature was, the longer it took for the red dye to dissolve.
The explanation above summarizes the data by only mentioning the shortest and longest piece of the data. There is also a sentence that explains the trend that I noticed while analyzing the data. Your written explanation should have those elements as well.
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