Data-logging for KS3 Science

Objectives: What is data-logging? Why do data-logging? When is data-logging useful/not useful? Practical session – using data-loggers. What will we do? How can we manage it in the classroom?

What is data-logging? Data-logging equipment includes: Sensors, interfaces, computer and software Process involves: Collection, storage, display, analysis and interpretation

Curriculum Requirements Pupils should be able to: obtain, record and analyse data from a wide range of primary and secondary sources, including ICT sources, and use their findings to provide evidence for scientific explanations Explanatory note: Primary sources such as data logging and secondary sources such as the internet are essential aspects of pupils’ experience of science. AF4 Using investigative approaches Level 8 Choose and justify data collection methods that minimise error, and produce precise and reliable data Level 6 Justify their choice of data collection method… Level 4 Select appropriate equipment or information sources to address specific questions or ideas under investigation

When is it useful? When it frees up time to think When it makes it easier to understand the underlying Science To make measurements over a long time period When it gives more precise measurements To make measurements over a very short time period When the value it measures is better than the one you could make manually When you want to make measurements in a place remote from the computer

Cooling curves

Thermal conduction Use a carbon filament lamp not the Bunsen burner

Oxygen sensor/photosynthesis

Position sensor/seedling growth

Temperature change in a reaction

Current when lamp is switched on

Speeding toy cars

When is it not useful? When it does too much for the students, e.g. calculating speed for them, rather than helping them to learn how to calculate it themselves. When you can get good results just as quickly and easily in the conventional way. When it’s hard to get the experiment to work reliably.

Practical Session Set up and run the experiments Whilst you are doing it make a note of any advantages/issues of each experiment Save data for at least one experiment onto a USB drive (data stored in My documents>Easy sense files>Data files?) Use the laptop or computer room to open your data in Excel and produce a graph Bring it back after the break

Discussion View and discuss graphs from Excel In the circus: Any advantages of datalogging? Any challenges/difficulties? How might they be overcome?

Is it transparent?

Greenhouse effect

A winter coat

Respiration

Classroom management MethodAdvantagesDisadvantages Teacher demoOnly need one set of data logging apparatus. Students see the right outcome for the experiment. Not as motivating for students. Students can’t achieve highest levels if it’s an assessed piece of work. Not developing students’ practical skills Half a class in small groupsHalf as much apparatus as with whole-class set – might make it possible with more difficult classes. Teacher supervising two activities at once. Timing – need to have enough work for others to complete while they wait to use data loggers. All students in small groupsMotivating – more engagement with task. Developing ICT skills. Developing practical and investigative skills. A lot of equipment to manage – may need support from ICT technician/Science tech/TA. Printing students’ work may be an issue.

What is data-logging? Why do data-logging? Curriculum requirements? When is data-logging useful/not useful? Practical session – using data-loggers. What will we do? How can we manage it in the classroom? Review aims of the session