Tech Integration Project
Lesson Accelerator: Project Overview

Charting the Heights
Software Type: Spreadsheet
The example project created in this Lesson Accelerator addresses NETS Performance Indicators for middle grades as used in a(n) Math curriculum. It could also be used with older learners or adapted for lower grades. See the section on Extending and Adapting at the bottom of this page for ideas on how to use this same project for different subjects, grades, and skill levels.
Project Launchers
Lesson Accelerator Project Launcher pages contain video tutorials that show you, step-by-step, how to create this project using specific software applications, as well as a movie showing you what the finished project looks like. They also provide a download of all the example files used in the project, so you can recreate it.
When you've reviewed all the information on this page and would like to go to a Project Launcher, click the application name below that corresponds to the one you'd like to use for the project.
Go to: Excel 2007 (PC) - Project Launcher
Go to: Excel 2003 (PC) - Project Launcher
Go to: Excel 2004 (Mac) - Project Launcher
Description
Students will be entering data about how tall each member of a class is into a spreadsheet. Formulas will also be entered to find the median, mean (average), and mode of the data. A column chart will be generated to visually display the relationships between the student heights. Students will have the opportunity to manipulate the data in order to see how the median, mean, and mode changes. A sample data set is provided in the Project Activity Guide that is included in the downloadable resource packet for this project.
Goals
To demonstrate median, mean, and modal relationships between numbers in a data set.
Objectives
The student will be able to:
  • Students will be able to create a simple electronic worksheet
  • Students will be able to add data to their worksheet
  • Students will be able to add formulas for finding the median, mean, and mode of a specified set of numbers
  • Students will be able to create and format a column chart in their spreadsheet, using a specified set of data
Preparation and Skill Mastery
Students should have basic computer skills. A conceptual understanding of how to calculate the mean, median, and mode of a set of numbers is useful for working with the formulas used in this spreadsheet project. If the heights of students in the classroom will be used, instead of the provided data set, then height measurement data should be obtained before beginning this project.
Materials
  • A measuring device, such as a yardstick or tape measure, if the heights of students in the classroom will be used
  • Access to a computer with spreadsheet software installed
  • Printer (optional)
Task List
The tasks to be completed for this project include:
  • Recording the height of each member of the group or class, if necessary
  • Creating an electronic spreadsheet with appropriate column and row labels
  • Entering the height data into the spreadsheet
  • Entering the formulas for median, mean, and mode, into the spreadsheet
  • Using the entered data to create a column chart
Assessment
Assessment can be based on the following:
  • Did the student accurately enter the height data into their spreadsheet?
  • Did the student accurately enter formulas for the median, mean, and mode?
  • Did the student generate a 3-dimensional column chart, using their height data?
Extending or Adapting
Here are some possible ways that this lesson plan might be extended or adapted for different timeframes, grade levels, and skill/ability levels:
  • Students could measure different sets of objects, or different aspects of the same set. For example: one student might measure height, while another student might measure the length of his/her classmate's feet
  • Students may try creating different types of charts from their gathered data; assessing whether certain types of charts are better at portraying the desired relationships than others
  • Students can be challenged to find sets of numbers that produce a specified median, mean, or mode