Mathematics Inquiry Project

Unit: Data Analysis and Statistics

Central Question: When does the risk of going to school outweigh the cost of snow days?

Day 1: Introductory Lesson and Grabber

Introductory Lesson:

A 45-minute lesson on data interpretation will be taught to the students during the first half of a 90-minute class period. The instructor should review collection and organization of data, as well introduce data analysis and interpretation.

Grabber:

Read the Wiki how article “How to Predict a Snow Day” (http://www.wikihow.com/Predict-a-Snow-Day), and have a discussion based on this article. Have students consider the following questions

• Have you ever done any of these?

• Do you think our school district is strict or lenient when calling snow days?

• Are snow days “good”?

• What factors do you think determine if school is canceled?

After the introductory questions, focus on the factors of determining snow days, and form a list. Create a list that the class will use as reference when determining their standards for school cancellations. The article outlines some of these factors such as weather forecast and the ability of a location to handle the snow. But also encourage them to consider more specific factors, such as increased potential for accidents, cost for parents requiring childcare, affected classroom performance, etc. From this list, we will introduce the project.

This grabber introduces the topic in a fun way that showcases the novelty of the driving question. Snow days affect all of these students, and most students probably have outside-of-school experience with predicting snow days and navigating wikiHow. This highlights the relevancy of the topic in a fun and effective way.

Introduction of the Central Question:

The instructor considers the list formed by the class and introduces the central question, when does the risk of going to school outweigh the cost of snow days? The students will pick 3 to 5 factors from the list generated in class, do research on these topics, and develop their own standards for canceling school due to weather.

Presenting the grabber, discussing the topic, introducing the project, and giving the students time to break up into groups of 3 or 4 students should take the second half of a 90-minute class period; at the end of this class period, each group will inform the instructor of which 3 to 5 factors they will be considering when developing their standards. After selecting which factors they will be, they may begin discussing their opinions on delayed and canceled school if time permits.

Day 2: Lecture

This day should mirror any other classroom day; the instructor should take the full 90-minute class period to continue teaching Data Analysis and Statistics and specifically focus on identifying possible sources of bias in sampling, evaluating the characteristics of a good survey or well-designed experiment, distinguishing between causation and correlation, and the ability to accurately analyze and interpret data sets. This lesson should cover the Indiana Academic Standards for Algebra 1 in Data Analysis and Statistics and equip the students with the knowledge they need for this project.

Day 3: Student Collaboration and Work Time

Work Time:

Students will have a full 90-minute class period to apply the information they’ve learned by creating their own set of standards for school cancellation due to weather. Students collaborate in groups of 3 or 4 to develop their own standards for weather-driven cancellations or delays based on the 3 to 5 factors they picked previously in class. They should do research to find reliable data that defends their reasoning, and with this they should create a presentation trying to persuade a “school board member” into adopting their standards.

Each presentation should include:

• Statement of which factors were taken into consideration when developing the standards

• 3 different sets of data and interpretations of what those graphs/tables mean and any explanations of correlations or causations present in their data

• Detailed description of risks in support of snow days

• Detailed description of the cost of missing school

• Specific reasoning on when the costs outweigh the risks

• Statement of specific standards for school cancellation

If students do not have their presentations completed by the end of this class period, they will be expected to finish the project outside-of-class.

Day 4: Culminating Activity

Presenting their Standards:

Each group will present their presentations to the entire class and, if possible, one of the school’s administrators to serve as a “school board representative” that the pitch will be made to. Students will be expected to present all the information required of the project in a way that demonstrates their knowledge of data analysis. All members must partake in the presentation, and a portion of the final grade for this project will be based on their ability to present their standards and defend the choices they made in developing these standards. The presenters must also be able to comment on the feedback of the audience and/or “school board representative” and address any issues or concerns they may observe.

Active Audience:

While watching their peers’ presentations, students will be given a table that gives scenarios and asks the students to decide whether school would run normally, have a delayed schedule, or be cancelled based on the presenting group’s standards. After each presentation, there will be a short discussion (2-3 minutes) on the leniency of their standards and any concerns they have with these particular standards. These sheets will be collected and factored into their project grade as “active participation”.

Instructor Resources:

Sample List of factors to consider when cancelling or delaying school:

This list should be generated in class with your students. Encourage your students to draw on the grabber, their own experiences, and outside information when developing this list.

List of potential factors for canceling school:

• Outside temperature

• Amount of snow

• Number of previous snow days for the school year

• Road conditions

• Cancellations in other school districts in the area

• Any problems with facilities that could be caused by the weather

• If weather conditions are expected to improve or worsen throughout the day

• Cost of childcare

• Potential affected classroom performance

• Children not receiving food

• Money school loses when cancellations occur

Sample Participation Sheet:

This sheet is given to each student for every group that presents. There are four scenarios that students must consider and evaluate using the presenting group’s standards for weather-driven cancellation. These sheets are collected at the end of the Culminating Activity and factored into their final project grade as participation.

Sample Grading Rubric:

This rubric provides the detailed expectations for each aspect of this project, and their assigned point values based on the student’s performance.