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Afterschool Lesson Plan Database

Lesson Plan

This lesson was excerpted from the Afterschool Training Toolkit under the promising practice: Tutoring to Enhance Science Skills

Description:

This lesson is one example of how you can implement the practice of Tutoring to Enhance Science Skills. In this activity, students take the results, or data, from different experiments and learn to make line graphs.

Note:

This is the last lesson in a series. Start with Interpreting Data from Birdfeeders, then Learning to Make Data Tables. You may want to review Learning to Make Bar Graphs if you feel it would help students understand line graphs.

Learning Goals:

• Analyze data from a data table
• Construct a line graph to represent data
• Understand line graphs and interpret data using line graphs

Materials:

• Notebook paper
• Pencil
• Clear ruler
• Graphing paper (1 cm x 1 cm preferred)

Preparation:

1. Connect with the school-day teacher to review students' needs.
2. Review the lesson, printouts, and Tips for Tutoring Students in Science (PDF).
3. Print all of the PDFs for this lesson. If you are working with more than one student, make copies as needed.

Safety Considerations:
There are no safety precautions for this lesson. However, if simple experiments are conducted in expanding this lesson, follow appropriate safety precautions such as using goggles or safety spectacles.

What to Do:

• Engage students by asking them what they already know about bar graphs, or asking them to show you a sample of any bar graphs they have made. Or, review the Sample Data for a Line Graph (PDF) or the data table they made in the previous lesson (Learning to Make Data Tables). Select one data set and ask students how they might represent the results in a line graph. Note what students understand and where they need to modify their thinking.
• Explore bar graphs.
  • Review the Guidelines for Making Line Graphs (PDF) and the Checklist for a Line Graph (PDF). Ask students to select an example from the sample data and create a line graph.
  • As students work, review any vocabulary associated with data representations. Watch for typical errors and help students learn to identify them, check their work, and correct errors independently.
• Explain the results. Ask students to explain how they organized the data in their line graphs. Review students' line graphs using the line graph checklist. If you feel that sufficient progress has been made, ask students to continue using other sample data sets to create additional line graphs.
• Extend learning if you have extra time. Ask students for ideas, or use school-day science lessons or the Internet to collect additional data for more line graphs. If you are familiar with Microsoft Excel®, teach students to create electronic spreadsheets with line graphs.

Evaluate (Outcomes to look for):

• Student participation and engagement
• Answers that reflect an understanding of how data can be organized in a line graph (use the line graph checklist)
• Understanding of x axis, y axis, and variables
• Understanding of how to interpret data from a line graph

Standards:
Click this link to see additional learning goals, grade-level benchmarks, and standards covered in this lesson.

Learn More:

Learn more about the 5Es.