Citizen Science - Collecting Data

Australian curriculum content descriptions: 

Year 7 Mathematics:

• Identify and investigate issues involving numerical data collected from primary and secondary sources (ACMSP169) 

Year 8 Mathematics:

• Investigate techniques for collecting data, including census, sampling and observation (ACMSP284)
• Explore the practicalities and implications of obtaining data through sampling using a variety of investigative processes (ACMSP206)

Syllabus outcomes: MA4-1WM, MA4-3WM, MA4-19SP.

General capabilities: Literacy, Numeracy, Critical and Creative Thinking, Ethical Understanding

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability 

Relevant parts of Year 7 achievement standards: Students construct stem-and-leaf plots and dot-plots.

Relevant parts of Year 8 achievement standards: Students choose appropriate language to describe events and experiments. They explain issues related to the collection of data and the effect of outliers on means and medians in that data.

Unit of work: ClimateWatch: Citizen Science – Mathematics – Years 7 & 8

Time required: 110 mins.

Level of teacher scaffolding: High – facilitate class discussions and independent data collection. Teachers will also need to facilitate a brief walk through the school grounds. 

• Student Worksheets – one copy per student
• Enough computers/tablets for groups of 3-4 students to access the ClimateWatch website and app

This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:

• Collaboration
• Communication
• Critical thinking
• Digital literacy
• Social skills

The lessons in this unit have been developed in partnership with Earthwatch.

Earthwatch developed the ClimateWatch program with the Bureau of Meteorology and The University of Melbourne to understand how changes in temperature and rainfall are affecting the seasonal behaviour of Australia’s plants and animals.