Graphing Practice in Science
Let’s all make a graph! Pick any kinda graph! Let’s all make a graph and keep analyzing! (Sung to the tune of Let’s All Fly a Kite) My point being that there can never be too many opportunities for graphing practice in science. Graphs and charts are the unsung heroes of the scientific world and often these skills can be pushed to the side while kids are struggling with science vocabulary.
We’ve thankfully moved from a straight Scientific Method to teaching science as a way of knowing and cycle of inquiry. Which is great, except I wonder how many times that is glossed over and then we move on to get to the “content” so we can get the ready for the EOC.
Did that sound a little salty?
There don’t seem to be enough hours in the day and with more competition for kids attention (thanks all the screens) it can be harder and harder to get that content across in the limited amount of time that we have. My goal here is to help make doing the things that are hard easier so you can be focused on your real purpose – teaching. We all know that teaching is way more than content or what any test could measure.
I’m going to suggest that you stop what you are doing now and add in data analysis to your class. I think this is just as important (and maybe more important) than claim-evidence-reasoning exercises (you need to be able to analyze the data for the evidence piece – at least).
Start graphing in your class today
Literally, whatever you are teaching find a way to graph some data. The one rule needs to be that you model how to graph and then let them practice. They might fail and even might get a little frustrated which is where the magic happens – that point where you start to feel uncomfortable is where growth occurs.
Let’s walk through an example. If you have started your cell unit, you could do pie charts of how much space each structure takes up in a “typical” animal cell. Don’t just throw up the charts. Create a data table and talk through the process. Not beneficial? Now compare that to the amount of space each structure takes up in a “typical” plant cell. Starting to see some benefit. What about in a muscle cell? or a liver cell? What about bacteria? What about graphing the size comparison of the cells?
Student need lots of graphing practice in science
Students are not as comfortable using data to create graphs and need some help choosing which chart type to use for a specific data set. Grab this free scientific graphing resource to introduce them to the basics of graphing. Come back to graphing again and again. Talk about bias in statistical data and margins of error.
Use Real Data
For all that is holy, PLEASE I beg you – use real data as much as possible. It is everywhere. We do not need to make it up in order to be able to get graphing practice in science.
Great places to find data include your textbook (if you have one), sites like the Oceans of Data Institute, and using Google Scholar as a search tool. Check the end of articles and books for links research and data to use with your kids. Word of warning – don’t redistribute copyrighted work.
If you can find a way – collect your own data.
Use the Experimental Design Process
Sounds daunting and you can decide to accept that or question it. I’ve been able to keep a 3+ week science experiment going with my kids just by using some cups, potting soil, and wheatgrass seeds.
You can always think of a million reasons NOT to run an experiment and so I’m going to challenge you to find one reason that you should? Data generation seems like a pretty good one. The more involved the kids are the more they will engage and the easier it will make graphing practice in science.
Help with Variables
I’ve found that students needs lot of practice identifying the dependent and independent variables. They also help in how these variables relate to each other in a hypothesis. One of my favorite new resources is this variable practice presentation.
If you go back to the basics, you will be setting the kids up for the most success. Isn’t that our goal?
