1. 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

2. 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

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

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

5. 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.

6. 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