Hi there and happy Wednesday everyone!
We’ve made it to the middle of the week. Hooray!
Today in class we took a math/analytical approach to our Writing Wednesday activity! This activity is entitled “Comparing Energy Resources: An Analytical Approach”.
Students were presented with a table with 9 different energy sources and the maximum and minimum cost. First students needed to create a 4th column and label it “AVERAGE COST”. They then calculated the average cost for each type of energy. This was done by adding the maximum and minimum numbers and dividing them by 2. Students were encouraged to do this work without a calculator, however once they were finished, they could check their work with a calculator.
Next, they moved on to classifying each energy resource as either nonrenewable or renewable into a nice neat little table.
The third step was to take their calculations from the averaged column and create a BAR GRAPH with the data. We all reasoned that a bar graph was correct (compared to a line graph) because we were comparing things, not measuring change over time. Students also needed to ensure their graphs had:
- Appropriate title
- Labeled axes (ie ‘Average Cost’ and ‘Energy Source’).
- Uniform intervals on the Y-axis
- All other information labeled
The fourth step was identifying the highest and lowest averages for energy resources.
Finally, using information from the graph they created, the article they read yesterday and pros/cons of each energy resource, the students had to pretend they were a city manager who needed to select the best energy resource for his/her city. Taking it a step further, they needed to support their claim with evidence they found in their graph.
It was quite an extensive activity! You can find the worksheet below:
Energy Resources Analytical Adventure
Remember, if you DID NOT complete the assignment, it is DUE TOMORROW 2/27/14 the moment you arrive to class!
Good luck & I’ll see you Thursday,
