Graphing Stories

Importance of Graphs

Graphs are essential tools for understanding scientific phenomena and principles because they visually represent data, making patterns, trends, and relationships easier to interpret. By organizing numerical information into clear visual formats such as line graphs, bar charts, or scatter plots, graphs enable scientists and learners to identify correlations, make predictions, and compare variables effectively. They simplify complex datasets, allowing for quick comprehension of how one variable influences another, such as temperature changes over time or the relationship between speed and acceleration. Furthermore, graphs support evidence-based reasoning by providing a concrete way to analyze and communicate findings. This makes them invaluable in science education and research, as they bridge the gap between raw data and meaningful conclusions.

Spreadsheets and Graphing

• Scatter plot [6:49] 

• Combination Plots [4:47]

• Area Plots [2:39]

• Pie Charts [2:07]

• Annotating Data Points [3:58]

• Column & Bar Graphs [1:51]

• Max, Min, Ave, Median, Average, % [6:02]

• Line of Best Fit [3:41]

• Creating combination charts [32:42]

(2) Creating graphs from stories

Draw graphs of each of the following stories.  Analyze the story, select the appropriate x-axis (independent variable) and y-axis (dependent variable), and plot a rough graph on the  appropriate slide. 

(1) Dribbling a basketball.

(2) Traveling up the lift hill and down the first drop of a roller coaster.

(3) Money is placed in the bank at a constant rate of interest.

(4) A thermostatically controlled air conditioner is turned on in a warm room.

(5) The movement of bridesmaids in a wedding march.

(6) The height of grass of a well-maintained lawn during growing season.

(7) The radioactive decay of the unstable isotope, uranium-238.

(8) A trumpet player practicing his or her scales from middle C to high C and back twice.

(9) The speed of an orbiting spacecraft.

(10) The population growth of mice introduced to a very small island.  The population is ultimately limited by the food supply.

(3) Create a Graph from Data Points - The Keeling Curve 

In 1958 C. David Keeling of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography started recording the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. His work was later adopted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration  (NOAA), which continuously plots carbon dioxide data year-around. Create the Keeling Curve of atmospheric carbon dioxide as a function of time from this data:

• Carbon dioxide data

This activity is from the Sourcebook for Teaching Science (20.3).  Complete the following survey and grade with Flubaroo.   Make a copy of this form.  (Norm will add you as a collaborator, and then you can make a copy)

Graphing Stories (Desmos activity)