SUBJECT: Science
GRADE: Fourth
TECHNOLOGY: Spreadhseet
BY: Ji Young Ahn, Andrew Heironimus, Justin Schlueter

Graphing Heart Rates

Target Grade/Subject:

Having worked with 4th/5th graders for over a month now, we have observed certain common interests and disinterests of 10 and 11 year olds.They are generally a group of students, who enjoy outdoor activities like running, playing basketball.Thus, we wanted to plan a lesson, which will not only spark their interest, but also cultivate acquisition of basic knowledge in creating spreadsheets and graphs as well as ability to conduct scientific investigations. Seeing that 4th and 5th graders are at Piaget's concrete operational and formal operational stages, lessons and activities that encourage hypothesis testing and abstract thought are appropriate and fitting for them. Students are generally more interested in participating in activities and lessons that require them to use their analytic thinking skills, and not mere memorization of factoids. Conversely, they seem disinterested in lessons where they are situated in one location for hours doing one monotonous activity such as listening to the teacher lecture, reading a book, doing tomorrow's homework in advance, and other more prosaic activities. Considering our target grade and subject, we have designed a lesson plan that will creatively foster them to learn SOL objectives for this selected grade level.

Objectives:

Students will perform different exercises and given a stop watch and data form, record pulse rates, predict which exercises will cause a faster heart rate, and be able to make a chart and graph the results. The students will complete an essay using the data to support or refute their predictions, and show their general understanding of using data to prove a hypothesis.

The SOL Objective with this lesson:

Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, and Logic
4.1 The student will plan and conduct investigations in which

• distinctions are made among observations, conclusions (inferences), and predictions;
• data are classified to create frequency distributions;
• predictions are made based on data from picture graphs, bar graphs, and basic line graphs;
• hypotheses are formulated based on cause and effect relationships;
• variables that must be held constant in an experimental situation are defined; and
• numerical data that are contradictory or unusual in experimental results are recognized.

Materials:

• Stop watch: to accurately measure the time of in/activity
• Data entry sheet
• Jump Rope
• Spreadsheet/graph-making computer program and computer: to make a visual representation of their data
• Ball: for one of the activities of catching and throwing
• Pencil and paper: to record their data before computing

Lesson Description:

1. Lesson on heart rate.
2. After short instruction on how to find and calculate a pulse, divide the students up into pairs.
3. List exercises on the blackboard
   • running for 30 seconds
   • jumping rope for 30 seconds
   • push ups for 30 seconds
4. Have students write down what exercise they think will increase their pulse the most and why.
5. Have both students in each group calculate and record their beginning pulse on the data sheet.
6. Have one student complete one of the exercises, while their partner keeps time.After the 30 seconds is up, calculate the new pulse rate and the partner will record on the data sheet.
7. Allow for a three-minute break between each exercise, and then the student will record their pulse rate before beginning the next exercise.
8. Follow the last three steps, while using the following exercises.
   • Running for 30 seconds
   • Jumping rope for 30 seconds
   • Doing push-ups for 30 seconds
9. Allow the second student in each pair to repeat the steps for all three exercises and record the pulse rates.
10. Have the students record their pulse rates into a spreadsheet
11. Have students produce bar graphs to show the class averages for beginning pulse rate and pulse rate after the exercise
12. Have students complete an essay drawing from their original prediction notes and the spreadsheet with bar graphs.

Evaluation Procedure:

The students are also to complete a short essay (2 paragraphs) saying what their original prediction was, what their data showed, and why or why not they were right or wrong.The printed spreadsheet with bar graphs should be attached to verify that the students are reading the graphs correctly.An "A" paper would state clearly the students initial prediction, accurately describe what their data had shown, give a conclusion detailing whether or not their prediction was right, and give reasons drawing from material learned about heart rates as to why one exercise had more of an impact on their heart rate than another.

Students essays should be graded on the following sections:

30 points
Initial Prediction: Should focus on their initial prediction and the reasons they made such a prediction. This should draw information from the lesson on heart rates done earlier. "B-F" papers will lack one of these criteria (like prediction without justification, nothing is drawn from the lesson).

30 points
Use of Data: Should focus on if the student shows competency in knowing what the data means and how to use it to support the outcomes. Is the data organized and complete? "B-F" essays will lack this.

40 points
Conclusion: Should focus on tying it all together. Did they use the data accurately to gauge whether or not their predictions were correct? Did they give reasons on why their predictions were incorrect (if they were) based on the lesson of heart rate given earlier? If they lack one of these, then the paper should be marked down.