Graph What?

Co-authors: Whitney Beem & Ann-Margaret Somers Subject/ Grade Level: 8th grade physical science The purpose of this lesson is to provide students with the opportunity to create hypothesis based off 1 image using questioning procedures to solve the mystery of the graph. Duration: 1 class period (52 minutes)

Georgia Performance Standard:

S8P2. Students will be familiar with the forms and transformations of energy.

FCS TAG Standard: Advanced Communication Skills: 1. The student uses written, spoken, or technological media to convey new learning or challenge existing ideas. 2. The student produces written and/or oral work that is complex, purposeful, and organized, includes relevant supporting examples and manipulation of language. 10. The student supports and defends his/her own opinions while respecting opinions of others. Creative Thinking & Creative Problem Solving Skills 1. The student questions accepted practices, rules, and existing principles to discover new knowledge. 5. The student develops original ideas, presentations, or products through synthesis and evaluation. Higher Order Critical Thinking Skills 2. The student responds to questions with supporting information that reflects in-depth knowledge of a topic. 4. The student makes and evaluates decisions using criteria. 5. The student predicts probable consequences of decisions. 8. The student separates ones own point of view from that of others.

Summary/ Overview: The student will create a hypothesis with supporting evidence about the mystery of the unknown graph. Enduring Understanding: Students will be able to identify how energy sources have been used through the past 60 years and be able to explain why. Essential Question: How do graphs help people in everyday life?

Activating Strategy: Students will create their own graphs, by plotting their assessment averages over the school year (labs, quizzes, and tests). Students will be given the option to present their graphs, making sure that every graph has a title, labeled x and y axes, and labeled data lines. Teaching Strategy: Setting Up the Mystery Student will be shown the Mystery graph, which will not have any labels or titles, only data points. Students will be told that this graph is important to them but it is their job to figure out what it is measuring using only Yes/No questions. Procedure Before the Yes/No questioning can begin, students must brainstorm 3 tentative hypotheses on their own that might explain what the graph represents. In groups, students may ask the teacher 1 Yes/No question pertaining to the graph, with the hope of proving their hypothesis. Students should be reminded to keep track of questions and answers to help them in the next round. After each group asks 1 question, it cycles back until all groups have asked a total of 4-5 Yes/No questions. After every group has asked 5 questions, students will look back at their original hypotheses and will re-evaluate their hypothesis and next line of questioning. This evaluate/question will continue for 3 rounds, with the hope that each round will get the students closer and closer to the mystery of the graph. Once someone/group has correctly identified the graph, a discussion will take place about how energy consumption has changed over the past 60 years, making sure to brainstorm why each line changes the way it does.

Summary Students will write a response to literature, but instead of a passage to read, they will write about the mystery graph. Students will be instructed to write about anything they feel/think about the graph, making sure to cite specifics from the graph. The minimum requirement is 1 page neatly written. Resource http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/annual/pdf/sec1_8.pdf

Mystery Graph

Mystery Graph Solved

Tentative Hypothesis #1:

Tentative Hypothesis #2:

Tentative Hypothesis #3:

Round 1 Yes/No Questions: ? ? ? ? ?

Round 2 Yes/No Questions: ? ? ? ? ?

Round 3 Yes/No Questions: ? ? ? ? ?

Mystery Graph Hypothesis:

Supporting Evidence: