Rising Temperatures: Data Analysis Lesson
Lesson Plan
1 hourGrades6, 7, 8Mathematics
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Written by Effie Wolters
About this lesson
This lesson gives students the opportunity to experience a simplified version of how mathematicians and scientists use data analysis and statistics to determine how much our planet is warming due to climate change. Students will create a data table and scatter plot and use linear regression to make predictions about the future.
Inquire: Students look at a global temperature anomaly graph and discuss how this graph shows a trend of warming temperatures.
Investigate: Students analyze real-world temperature data from a city by creating a data table and scatter plot.
Inspire: Students connect what they discovered about their city to the overall trend of rising temperatures.
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Everything you need to teach it
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Positives
- This lesson fosters independence by letting students choose their city, find their own data, create their own data table and graph, and analyze their data using guiding questions.
- Students get to use what they learned in the lesson to practice discussing climate change with people who might be skeptical or misinformed.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students need access to their own computer (or teachers could have students work in partners if devices are limited).
- Students should be familiar with graphing in Google Sheets.
Differentiation
- Teachers could use this lesson as a mini-project to assess students' understanding of graphing, data analysis, and/or linear regression.
- For lower levels, teachers can instruct all students to select the same city (use the city from the example graph if you want to make sure there is a positive association).
- For higher levels, students can look at multiple cities in different regions and compare their scatter plots.
- This article can be used as an extension or follow up activity for early finishers or students who are interested in learning more.
From the scientist review
This lesson develops students' statistical skills to analyze weather data, compute trends and variance, and fit scatter plots in regression to understand climate variability in U.S. cities. All materials embedded in the lesson are thoroughly sourced. Accordingly, this lesson is recommended for classroom use.
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About the teacher writer
Effie Wolters
6-8 Chemistry and Earth Science Teacher
Effie Wolters is a science educator with nine years of teaching experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of San Diego and a master’s degree in Teaching Instruction from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. She is licensed to teach General Science in Grades 5–8 and holds a Cambridge CELTA certification.
