Phase ii: The big idea...
The audience for this project will be my 11th grade IB diploma programme biology class. We will have the entire 2015-2016 school year to work on this project.
My big idea: Statistical analysis empowers us to show that our scientific claims are valid.
Through this project, I want to uncover the world of statistical analysis that exists in science. Up until this point, students have learned about scientific claims and in some cases, they have seen the results that support them. However, students have not been exposed to the mathematical principles that allow us to say that results are meaningful or meaningless. This can lead to confusion and misconceptions galore! In science fair projects, I’ve seen many students claim that tiny, insignificant variations between trials actually represent data trends that confirm their hypothesis. One student concluded that “jocks” were “nicer” than “well dressed” people because when she asked three jocks and three well dressed people for directions at the mall, all three jocks were friendly when they answered whereas only two of the well dressed people were friendly. This may be cute among freshmen doing science fair, but this gap in conceptual understanding of data analysis is a huge problem for students to overcome as they approach college.
My overarching process for implementing my big idea is to give students the chance to use statistical analysis in the lab to determine the validity of experimental results while also having them creatively explore the concepts of statistics through research, story telling and the use of presentation media. The kind of performances of understanding I want students to demonstrate fall into two categories. The first category is the formal statistical analysis of data collected during labs using tool such as percentages, means, scatter graphs, confidence intervals, modes, medians and standard deviations. These performances will be part of their lab reports throughout the year. The second category is more of a conceptual understanding where students develop analogies to explain and better understand these statistical concepts. I also want students to find concrete examples of scientific and nonscientific claims that are supported or refuted by these statistical tools.
There are a few pedagogical approaches that I plan to use while implementing this project. First I will use stories to create an air of mystery and to plant some sticky ideas in the students’ minds. Then I want to move onto modeling and group practice using sample data sets to identify and hopefully address misunderstandings. As we move forward through the project, I want to have students complete inquiry based laboratories to give students a chance to collect their own data for analysis. These labs can be virtual labs or live labs using the data logging technology available at Kennedy High School. These labs will give students the chance to apply statistical tools to determine the validity of their own hypotheses by mathematically analyzing their own results. Finally the project will culminate with students working in collaborative groups to create prezi’s, or they can use other online presentation media software, where they will demonstrate their conceptual understanding of a statistical tool by making presentations that include images, graphs, memes, real world examples and misuses of that tool in popular culture.
My big idea: Statistical analysis empowers us to show that our scientific claims are valid.
Through this project, I want to uncover the world of statistical analysis that exists in science. Up until this point, students have learned about scientific claims and in some cases, they have seen the results that support them. However, students have not been exposed to the mathematical principles that allow us to say that results are meaningful or meaningless. This can lead to confusion and misconceptions galore! In science fair projects, I’ve seen many students claim that tiny, insignificant variations between trials actually represent data trends that confirm their hypothesis. One student concluded that “jocks” were “nicer” than “well dressed” people because when she asked three jocks and three well dressed people for directions at the mall, all three jocks were friendly when they answered whereas only two of the well dressed people were friendly. This may be cute among freshmen doing science fair, but this gap in conceptual understanding of data analysis is a huge problem for students to overcome as they approach college.
My overarching process for implementing my big idea is to give students the chance to use statistical analysis in the lab to determine the validity of experimental results while also having them creatively explore the concepts of statistics through research, story telling and the use of presentation media. The kind of performances of understanding I want students to demonstrate fall into two categories. The first category is the formal statistical analysis of data collected during labs using tool such as percentages, means, scatter graphs, confidence intervals, modes, medians and standard deviations. These performances will be part of their lab reports throughout the year. The second category is more of a conceptual understanding where students develop analogies to explain and better understand these statistical concepts. I also want students to find concrete examples of scientific and nonscientific claims that are supported or refuted by these statistical tools.
There are a few pedagogical approaches that I plan to use while implementing this project. First I will use stories to create an air of mystery and to plant some sticky ideas in the students’ minds. Then I want to move onto modeling and group practice using sample data sets to identify and hopefully address misunderstandings. As we move forward through the project, I want to have students complete inquiry based laboratories to give students a chance to collect their own data for analysis. These labs can be virtual labs or live labs using the data logging technology available at Kennedy High School. These labs will give students the chance to apply statistical tools to determine the validity of their own hypotheses by mathematically analyzing their own results. Finally the project will culminate with students working in collaborative groups to create prezi’s, or they can use other online presentation media software, where they will demonstrate their conceptual understanding of a statistical tool by making presentations that include images, graphs, memes, real world examples and misuses of that tool in popular culture.