We are bombarded with statistical information through social media and commercials often with graphs or images displaying data. In this age of information overload, students need to understand how statistics work and how to correctly interpret displays of data. We will share a two-part lesson, where middle school students first explored the different types of graphs used to display data, and then became entomologists who gathered data in a garden and determined the best method to display their data accurately. Teachers will walk in their students’ shoes and analyze different types of graphs to pose and respond to questions regarding the data displayed. Next, teachers will walk through the second part of the lesson, where students collect data in a garden and use that data to create their own graphs and pose questions. Student work will be shown to highlight how middle school students determined which graphs they used to display their data. Finally, participants will be provided lesson plans to discuss what this could look like in their classrooms. The session will end with participants sharing their ideas for implementation.
