Practical Teaching Experience Pp

Practical Teaching Experience: Using Excel to Investigate Candy Color Distribution

By Jim Ruff and Rich Zielaskiewicz

Lesson Basics: • Content Area: Data Analysis • Grade Level: Middle Grades • Equipment and Materials: M & Ms, desktop computers, Microsoft Excel and Word

Learning Goals: • You will collaborate in pairs to record color distribution in an Excel spreadsheet format. • You will utilize formulas in an Office Excel spreadsheet. • You will convert the spreadsheet information into several kinds of charts. • You will utilize information obtained through hands-on research and

Analysis I: • Are some colors more numerous? • Do all bags have the same number of candies? • Compare your observations with the findings of students in other groups. Are the same colors more numerous from one group to another? • Is color distribution consistent in bags of differing weights?

Analysis II: • When is it best to use one chart type instead of another? • What is the value of using more than one bag of candy to conduct this experiment? • What is the value of using bags with