Basic Productivity Tools (BPT)

Lesson Idea Name: Let’s Get Graphy with It

Content Area: Statistics and Probability
Grade Level(s): 9th
Content Standard Addressed:
MGSE9-12.S.ID.1 Represent data with plots on the real number line (dot plots, histograms, and box plots).

Technology Standard Addressed:

Computational Thinker:
b. collect data or identify relevant data sets, use digital tools to analyze them, and represent data in various
ways to facilitate problem-solving and decision-making.

Selected Technology Tool: Microsoft Excel

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☐ Remembering ☐ Understanding ☒ Applying ☒ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☒ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☒ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☐ Level 4: Integration
☐ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

The content I am looking at is representing data through box plots, histograms, and dot plots. Based on the
universal design for learning, my task using Excel is going to allow students to organize data and create two
different types graphs. By allowing my students to use the Excel Software, they will be able to display all areas
of UDL: Engagement, Representation, and Action & Expression. Students, through creating graphs, will be
engaged in creating their own visual representations of the data they collect. They will be actively engaged by
going around the classroom to collect their data by asking their peers a quantitative question. Lastly, they will
display Action & Expression by having them come up with a measurable question that is meaningful to them
and applies real world application.
Lesson idea implementation:
The goal of this lesson is for students to learn how to represent a data set through the creation of box
plots, histograms, and dot plots. This lesson should take 2-3 days to complete. On the first day, The teacher
will first introduce these diagrams through a simple power point presentation. Each slide will include a picture
and then any important characteristics that the students will need to know about each type of diagram. It will
also include an example problem related to each type of diagram to demonstrate how each of them are
constructed. Students will be expected to take notes during this part of the lesson. Their notes should include
a picture of each diagram, a brief description of it, and a copy of the example problem. Following the
presentation, students will be given a worksheet of example problems in which they can work in groups to
complete. The second day will be focused on introducing the “Get Graphy with It” project. The Get Graphy
with it is going to be broken down into two parts. The first part is I want students to come up with a question,
in pairs of 2 or 3, that can be measurable. For example, how many pets does each student have in Ms.
Langston’s class? Once everyone has their questions approved by the teacher, students will begin conducting
their research of the classroom. They will be expected to have all of their data collected by the end of class.
The third and final day of the lesson will involve bringing in laptops or going to the computer lab. During this
time, students will be taught how to create a graph of their data using excel. For this particular task, students
Spring 2018_SJB
 Basic Productivity Tools (BPT)
will only be creating histograms and box plots. They will have to draw a dot plot of their information. The
teacher will provide step by step instruction handout on how to complete this assignment. They will also go
over that hand out at the beginning to show students how they are to do the task. The final product will be an
excel file that includes: the students names at the top, their question as a header, their data, and the two
diagrams that represent their data. This excel file will be uploaded and submitted to the teacher via google
classroom. From there, the teacher will be able to review the submissions and provide feedback for the
students.
Overall, this lesson will encourage higher order thinking by making the students think critically in coming up
with a question that is measurable and quantitative. This may seem trivial to adults, but students may need to
take some time to understand what it means for a question to be measurable. They will also learn new skills
in technology by creating graphs using excel. This skill can be used when they are older and on the job one
day. All in all, the students will be able to represent data by creating histograms, box plots, and dot plots and
know how to answer problems related to these types of diagrams.
Reflective Practice: I believe this lesson will impact student learning by encouraging them to think critically
about data and ways to represent it. This task is not going to be super easy for everyone and it will cause
students to use their reasoning skills. I can only hope that my students will enjoy the task and be able to make
sense of the work they are doing. Either way, the students will be able to actively participate in this lesson,
which is so important for them to develop necessary thinking skills. One way I could take this lesson a step
further might be including a video tutorial/ introduction to histograms, box plots, and dot plots on that first
day. This would incorporate more technology use.

Spring 2018_SJB