Spreadsheet and Graphing Activities
Weather Watcher Activity
Concept question:
How does the weather change daily?
Objective: Students will be able to differentiate types of weather.
Students will learn Excel and its functions.
Students will use data and graphs to compare and contrast the weather conditions for one month.
Explain to students, they will become official weather watchers for one month. Ask the students what are the different types of weather conditions in the world? Make a word web with the students ideas!
Print out the Monthly Weather Calendar for each student or have each student have access to a computer with Excel. Type the month, year, and dates together. Teach students how to copy the icon that best represents the weather and paste it on the day of the month.
When the month calendar is complete, have the students open the Weather Bar Graph Template. Teach the students how to copy and paste on their template in order to represent their monthly calendar data. The students are to make their own graph on this first activity rather than use the insert a chart tab. This will give them a more concrete experience on what a graph represents. When all graphs are complete, compare the types of weather for that month (more, equal, less, fewer, etc.).
How does the weather change daily?
Objective: Students will be able to differentiate types of weather.
Students will learn Excel and its functions.
Students will use data and graphs to compare and contrast the weather conditions for one month.
Explain to students, they will become official weather watchers for one month. Ask the students what are the different types of weather conditions in the world? Make a word web with the students ideas!
Print out the Monthly Weather Calendar for each student or have each student have access to a computer with Excel. Type the month, year, and dates together. Teach students how to copy the icon that best represents the weather and paste it on the day of the month.
When the month calendar is complete, have the students open the Weather Bar Graph Template. Teach the students how to copy and paste on their template in order to represent their monthly calendar data. The students are to make their own graph on this first activity rather than use the insert a chart tab. This will give them a more concrete experience on what a graph represents. When all graphs are complete, compare the types of weather for that month (more, equal, less, fewer, etc.).
What is your favorite season?
Concept question: What are the four seasons?
Objective: Students will be able to describe all four seasons.
Students will tally a vote and count data.
Students will be able to enter data in an Excel program and create a chart.
To begin this activity, it is important to teach each season individually for a few lessons. Discussion should include questions prompts for each season, such as, "What kind of clothes do you wear?" , "What activities do you enjoy?", "How does your neighborhood look outside?", etc. Once your students have enough prior knowledge and understanding about all four seasons, have a class election on "What is your favorite season?". Complete the tally of votes into the "Our Favorite Season Summary". Have each child open their own Excel file and enter the class votes into the correct cell of the spreadsheet. Demonstrate how to take their data and insert a graph into their Excel sheet. Have each child create the chart of their choice. Make sure you show the children how to save their work. Hold a class discussion on why graphs help people organize and compare information.
Extension lesson: Have your school faculty, students' parents and friends, and administrators take part in this lesson by completing an online poll about their favorite season. You can collect this new data and create another spreadsheet with a graph included. List the results on your classroom website.
Objective: Students will be able to describe all four seasons.
Students will tally a vote and count data.
Students will be able to enter data in an Excel program and create a chart.
To begin this activity, it is important to teach each season individually for a few lessons. Discussion should include questions prompts for each season, such as, "What kind of clothes do you wear?" , "What activities do you enjoy?", "How does your neighborhood look outside?", etc. Once your students have enough prior knowledge and understanding about all four seasons, have a class election on "What is your favorite season?". Complete the tally of votes into the "Our Favorite Season Summary". Have each child open their own Excel file and enter the class votes into the correct cell of the spreadsheet. Demonstrate how to take their data and insert a graph into their Excel sheet. Have each child create the chart of their choice. Make sure you show the children how to save their work. Hold a class discussion on why graphs help people organize and compare information.
Extension lesson: Have your school faculty, students' parents and friends, and administrators take part in this lesson by completing an online poll about their favorite season. You can collect this new data and create another spreadsheet with a graph included. List the results on your classroom website.
seasons_monthly_weather.xlsx | |
File Size: | 116 kb |
File Type: | xlsx |
Weather Bar graph | |
File Size: | 69 kb |
File Type: | xlsx |
Our Favorite Season | |
File Size: | 78 kb |
File Type: | ods |