Type of Lesson: Tutor       

Lesson Plan Title: Use of CAI Master Graphing Software in the Classroom

Discipline: Mathematics

Topic: Statistics- Graphical Representation of Data

Grade Level: 8th Grade- Junior High (Upper Basic)

Population Characteristics:
There are 40 students- 22 male and 18 female. It is a mixed ability class with no severe impairments. Majority of the students are from low-income households with similar socio-economic background and have grown up with no computers. However, students are now learning computer skills after the school received a donation of 10 PCs from a cooperating partner. Each class is given two hours per week of computer lessons in the laboratory.  Therefore, most students have acquired basic skills in stand-alone computer mediated programs such as word processing, data entry and reading data from diagrams.

Lesson Groupings: 
Students will work in heterogeneous groups of four (4) based on sex, and rank order of previous assessment records.  There will be potential (rotational) group roles:
·    Leader:
responsible for keeping the group on the assigned task at hand. He or she will ensure each member participates in the activities of measuring and data entry.
·    Recorder:
to pick and maintain group materials. He or she will be in-charge of keeping records of group activities.
·    Reporter:
to give oral responses to the class about the group conclusions
·    Monitor:
responsible for making sure that the group’s work area is left clean and acts as a timekeeper for timed activities.    

Curriculum Links:
The prior knowledge linked to the understanding of this topic includes: Number Notations; Scale Drawing and plotting; Definition of Statistics; Four operations; and Social and Commercial Arithmetic. This topic will provide smooth progression in the coverage of the Mathematics for Basic School syllabus- Zambia.

Curriculum content includes: Drawing of histograms; Ogive; Percentiles; Measures of Dispersion, and other cross cutting themes and issues.

Objectives: Given a source of data, a pre-made date set of up to five variables, a computer with Graph Master software, printer, and paper, Students Should Be Able To (SSBAT):
·    Identify simple logical steps of drawing a Bar graph
·    Collect and enter data under appropriate variables.
·    Create graphs using different scales. 
·    Analyze the created graphs.
·    Print results of the created graphs.
·    Compare graphs of the same set of data.
·    Create graphs using Graph Master pre-made data set.

Media Literacy Objectives
·    Analyze and explain graphical representations.
·    Synthesize information from nonprint media.
·    Explain how inaccurate or incomplete information in nonprint source can lead to faulty conclusion.
·    Demonstrate knowledge of current information technologies through use of CAI to compute data.

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Material 

URL: http://www.tomsnyder.com/tour
·    Tom Snyder Productions: Product Sampler CD
·    Paper
·    Pencils
·    Student worksheets
·    Computer with Graph Master software
·    Printer
·    Internet connectivity
     Time
     Two forty-five minute class periods (90 minutes)
  

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Scope and Sequence

Data Set Creation Activity

Students will go to their group assigned computers and after the teacher has introduced the activities for the day and distribute activity sheets on the demographic data of five local districts, learners will login to the interactive “Graph Master” program and follow self-directed group activities on graphing. 
                


 

District	Population	Area (in Sq. Km)
Kitwe	363,734	4, 560
Ndola	374,757	5, 300
Mufulira	122, 336	3, 650
Chingola	147, 448	3, 700
Luanshya	115, 579	3, 500

Description
Students will complete the tasks by doing the following exercises:
1.    List the steps you will use to draw a Bar graph of the five districts’ population distribution using Graph Master. 
2.    Each group will use two appropriate scales of their choice for the independent axis (District) and dependent axis (Number of people) to draw Bar Graphs.
3.    Groups will analyze the graphs.
4.    Students will compare the two bar graphs 
5.    Students will use the on-screen notebook to write the findings.
6.    Students will print their group graphs.
7.    Group reporters to display the graphs and give oral presentations and responses to the class.      

Note: Graph Master is a stand-alone program (CAI); therefore, learners find solutions with little intervention from the teachers.  

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Independent Assignment

Individually, students will work on creating line graphs using pre-made data set. The assignment will be done during afternoon self-directed study periods. I will sign permission passes for students to access Graph Master software in the Computer lab.
 

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Supplementary Materials
·    Data set Activity sheets for who may need scaffolding. 

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Evaluation of Students

The following rubrics will be used to assess students:
 
Evaluation of the Lesson
The teacher will be able to informally assess the comprehension of concepts by students as the lesson progresses.  This will enable the teacher to determine if any additional learning activity is needed to assist learners in identifying procedures of creating graphs before additional examples are shown.
Also, before I assign independent practice, I will check for understanding through prompts -by asking individual students explain to the class.
More formal evaluation will come as a result of the students completing an independent assignment that allows them to practice graphing using Graph Master software.

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References

Johnson-Taylor, S. “Electronic Literacy and Computing in the Classroom”; and “Tutor module” Readings, ETAP 526- Spring 2006 semester, SUNY Albany.

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