Science/Math Module Grades 6-8 By Tara Link MAP Lead Teacher Moberly School District Central Regional MAP Center 31-1
Purpose: The purpose of this module is to assess a student s ability to record and analyze data, organize information and ideas into a presentation using graphs and other written forms, and develop suggestions for solving problems related to electrical energy. Subject: Science and Math Show-Me Standards Addressed: Knowledge: S1, S8, M1, M3 Performance: 1.2,1.8,3.1 Grade Level: 5-7 Materials needed: Module packet (including the student response sheets and the scoring guides that do not give clues to the correct answers), data collected for a 10 day period, pencil, paper, poster board, ruler, markers or colored pencils, computer and graphing program (optional), access to the school s electrical meter. Time needed: It will take 10 days to record the data from the school s electrical meter. Once the data is compiled, the module can be completed in two 40 minute periods. Instruction for Administration: Present students with the module packet and explain the directions and scoring guides. Tell them they will have to use the information they have collected as a result of observing the school s electrical usage to do the performance event contained in the module. Pre-Assessment Instructions: Students will need prior knowledge of electricity and energy, math averaging and graphing skills. Prior to having students collect data about the schools electrical usage, discuss with students how electric companies determine the cost of each house or building s monthly electric bill. Review how electricity is produced in the area in which the students live. Before students complete the questions in the module packet, they will need to have a record of the school s electrical usage for a ten day period. Post Assessment Instructions: Students will display their posters containing the graphs and data throughout the school. A list of energy conserving solutions created by the students will be compiled and presented to the principal, faculty, and students. 31-2
Student Response Sheet #1 Below is a chart showing the monthly cost of electricity for four houses in the same town. Use the information from this graph to answer questions 1-5. September October November December House 1 $90.45 $75.32 $101.15 $130.00 House 2 $45.00 $39.80 $67.28 $74.49 House 3 $122.15 $93.79 $138.02 $161.11 House 4 $66.12 $15.22 $76.18 $91.99 1. Out of the four houses, which has the highest average electrical bill? Which house has the lowest average electrical bill? 2. Give some possible reasons for the house having the highest average bill. 3. What pattern can you find for the houses and the cost of their electrical bill? Explain a possible reason for this pattern. 31-3
Student Response Sheet # 2 4. Based on the information from the chart and what you know about January s weather, which of the following amounts would be a reasonable prediction for House # 1 s electric bill for January? a) $103.00 b) $120.00 c) $145.00 d) $88.00 5. Use the grid below to create a graph that compares the electric bills of the four houses. Be sure to give your graph a title and labels. 31-4
Student Response Sheet # 3 6. Sometimes during the summer months, on extremely hot days, electric companies declare a peak alert. This is when they ask homes and businesses to make an effort to conserve electricity by cutting down on the use of large appliances that use a lot of electricity. Write a peak alert announcement explaining the reason for the alert and offer at least three suggestions for observing it. 31-5
Student Prompt Concern for the rapid use and quick depletion of the earth s natural resources like coal and natural gas has prompted the National Energy Council to ask consumers to find ways to reduce the amount of electricity used throughout the day. The school principal has asked your group to provide practical suggestions for reducing the amount of electricity used by the school. To do this you will need to locate the school s electrical meter and perform a 10 day study of electricity use in the school. Each day schedule times to monitor and record readings from the school s electric meter. You will need to record your findings on a chart for a ten day period. After you have collected your data, you will need to analyze it, and present your findings to the school s faculty. Your presentation will need to include: all the relevant information including the average usage, the times and days that the most electricity was used, graphs showing the amount of electrical usage, and a listing of suggestions for reducing the amount of electricity used by the school. 31-6
Scoring Guides Item 1: Constructed Response Correct Answers: House 3, House 2 2 Points: Both correct answers 1 Point: One correct answer 0 Points: Other Item 2: Constructed Response Possible answers: -more people living in the house -larger house to heat and cool -more appliances in the house -house is less energy efficient -other reasonable reasons why the electricity bill may be higher 2 Points: Any three versions of possible answers 1 Point: Any two versions of possible answers O Points: Other Item 3: Constructed Response Possible answers: Patterns -The electric bills increase during the last two months. -The electric bills increase during Nov. and Dec. -All the electric bills decrease in Oct. -Any other pattern displayed by the bills Reasons -The weather is getting colder. -The weather is getting colder. -It was unseasonably warm. -Any viable reason to explain the pattern 2 Points: The response contains an accurate pattern and a corresponding viable reason. 1 Point: The response contains a pattern. 0 Points: Other Item 4: Constructed Response Correct Answer: C 1 Point: The response is correct 0 Points: Other 31-7
Item 5: Constructed Response The Shocking Truth Scoring Guides 3 Points: The graph accurately displays all of the data. A title and labels have been used. It can be clearly understood. 2 Points: The graph displays all of the data with only minor errors. A title and labels have been used. It is easy to understand. OR 2 Points: The graph accurately displays all of the data but the title or labels are missing. It can be understood. 1 Point: The graph contains most of the data, may contain a few minor errors, and may or may not have a title and labels. It can be understood. 0 Points: Other Item 6: Constructed Response Possible answers: Explanation for the alert: -During the heat, most people have on their air conditioners which use a lot of electricity. -During the summer, more people are at home using electricity. -During the summer, air conditioners run more and use a lot of electricity. -There is not enough electricity to run all the air conditioners. -Any other acceptable explanation for the alert based on the heat or summer months. Possible answers: Suggestions: -Turn out lights when you re not in the room. -Turn up thermostat on the air conditioner. -Don t use large appliances. -Turn off T.V.s when not watching them. -Any reasonable suggestion that gives a way to conserve electricity. 3 Points: A reasonable explanation for the alert and three suggestions. 2 Points: A reasonable explanation for the alert and two suggestions. 1 Point: Two or three suggestions OR 1 Point: A reasonable explanation for the alert with one suggestion. O Points: Other 31-8
Scoring Guide for Performance Event Data Collection 4 3 2 1 May contain a few minor errors and is for the most part complete. Contains critical errors and/or lacks much needed information. Is accurate and complete for a ten day period. Contains many critical errors and/or contains little needed information. Presentation of data contains the average amount of usage, the peak days of usage, and the peak times of usage. The data is accurate. contains any two of the following: average amount of usage, peak times of usage, or peak days of usage. Both are accurate. contains any one of the following: average amount of usage, peak times of usage, or peak days of usage. This one item is accurate. does not contain at least one accurate of the following: average amount, peak times of usage, or peak days of usage. Graph used in presentation. The student made at least one completely accurate graph for use in the presentation. The graph could be clearly understood. The student made at least one graph for use in the presentation. For the most part it was accurate and may have a few minor errors. The graph could be understood. The student s attempt to make a graph shows partial understanding. The graph may be incomplete and/or contain critical errors. The graph may be difficult to understand. The student s attempt to make a graph shows little to no understanding. It may be incomplete and/or contain many critical errors. Suggestions for conserving electricity in the school given in presentation. contains at least three relevant* suggestions. contains at least two relevant* suggestions. contains at least one relevant* suggestion. No relevant* suggestions are given. * Relevant suggestions are ones that are arrived at as a result of accurately analyzing the data. The purpose of this task is to have students use their findings to make suggestions. 31-9