Exploring and Interpreting Data Develop questions and hypotheses Draw conclusions Design experiment Today we’ll practice the scientific method, with focus on looking at data and drawing conclusions. Often performing an experiment gets a lot of focus in K-12 classrooms, and students can learn from this step alone, but examining patterns in the data and drawing conclusions strengthens students’ understanding of what happened in that experiment, and it can motivate them to ask new questions. Analyze data Collect data

Session Learning Goals By the end of today’s session, teacher will: Practice exploring real data from the BEST plots and interpreting patterns Feel more comfortable helping students describe data patterns and make conclusions Discuss how to implement data exploration in the classroom Learn how scientists reorganize data to ask specific questions

Using Real Data: Invertebrate Traps Sticky Trap Pitfall Trap What is different about where these traps are placed?

Using Real Data: Invertebrate Traps We placed each kind of trap in each of the 8 plots in each block

Using Real Data: Invertebrate Traps Sticky Trap Pitfall Trap We left the traps out for 1 weeks, collected the traps, and counted all of the invertebrates on the traps. We put these traps out because we wanted to see what kinds of invertebrates live in or near these research plots.

Using Real Data: Invertebrate Traps Sticky Trap Pitfall Trap We left the traps out for 1 weeks, collected the traps, and counted all of the invertebrates on the traps. We put these traps out because we wanted to see what kinds of invertebrates live in or near these research plots. Review the kinds of invertebrates we trapped on the Invertebrate Handout