Data Tales (EARTH2014)

VICSD – Visualization, Interpretation, and

Communication of Scientific Data (EARTH2013)

Kathy CouchonNarragansett High School

Narragansett, RI

How can special education students share what they have learned in science

class?

An alternative assessment

Tell what they have learned in story format

Using Data Tales lesson (EARTH2014) and Katy Scott’s talk from Monterey Bay Aquarium – “What story will they tell?”

Data Tales Key concepts:

scientific storytelling

analyzing and interpreting data

communicating scientific data

Can ALL students tell a science story? YES

Data Tales LessonModified complex tasks_

Engage - Poll Everything idea to engage students by asking how they understand science stories was modified – look back at notebooks to answer: what is science data?

Analyzing Science Stories; not applicable to this class; too complex but useful with other classes (look at how scientists communicate data)

Explore – look at science stories in books & videos

Ready…Choose a

science content topic that you particularly liked.

HW – find pix from notes or on-line that go along

Use your notes to make a storyboard

Set…

• Students were given the option to choose between several video formats

• After watching an Animoto demo, they all choose that!

Go…The results – all students chose

to create a short video using Animoto

Seasons: Its All About the Tilt- Not Distance!

– when students teach the instructional aides, you know they’ve got it!

Lesson evaluationApplicable to all grade levels and to ALL

students

Can be simplified…or used to share more complex data sets

Honors ES students investigated the impact of climate change on a particular person & geographic area –(Climate Witness) and created videos to “share a climate story”

WWF - Climate WitnessStories of climate

change & climate action

People observing climate change and supporting climate solutions

Interactive map of people and their climate stories

VICSD – Visualization, Interpretation, and

Communication of Scientific Data (EARTH2013)

• Easily adaptable lesson to allow students to examine any sort of data set

• Used especially to examine and interpret a series of global data maps depicting 4 types of data related to plate boundaries

• Student observation sheet – “I notice”, “I observe” statements only

Discovering Plate Boundaries

Earthquake distribution/depth

Topography/Bathymetry

Seafloor age

Create a puzzleCool feature where

students examine data by piecing togetehr a puzzle (scientific poster) …or map of Pangaea

Students develop spatial skills

Better than ripping a mag page

Pangaea Puzzle

Modifications/SuggestionsStudent Analysis Sheet – aligned with NGSS

Cross-Cutting Concepts – patterns, cause & effect,

Students were to interpret & then communicate their data based on these criteria; did not have enough experience to do this activity well

Photograph Puzzle creator– took me time to figure out

Lesson seems to suggest complex data sets, can be used successfully with any data

Great way to introduce students to data – or refine their data analysis/interpretation/communication skills!!