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Welcome to Great Lakes Water Data Sets for Teachers where teachers can find scientific data in a format that is easy to use in the classroom. This data can easily be used by middle or high school teachers to engage students in an inquiry project using real data. Unlike a “cookbook data”, scientific data does not always produce a smooth curve on a graph, therefore students can practice many process skills by graphing and analyzing scientific data. There are many sites on the internet that provide scientific data but this is often in a form that only a knowledgeable scientist can use. The data available through this website was originally compiled by the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) and other NOAA agencies. We have, in turn, presented it with fewer data and decimals points. It is important for students to use scientific data when investigating a question or problem. Inquiry requires students to use process skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. We suggest that teachers use the guided inquiry Virtual Vee Map project to analyze the data provided by this website. Of course, there are other ways to use our data, and you are welcome to use it as your needs require. The Virtual Vee Map was first suggested by Margaret Coffman and Leela Riggs (2006). They used Gowin’s Vee (Gurley-Dilger, 1992; Roehrig et al., 2001) as a template for scientific research using internet data, hence the virtual aspect of this project. For more information about Virtual Vee Maps see the Virtual Vee Map page. This website will provide you with several data sets such as temperature, dissolved oxygen, and seiche data, just to name a few. There is also an explanation of how the data was collected. Along with the explanation of a Virtual Vee map project, a Virtual Vee map template, a rubric and an example student Virtual Vee map are also provided. We have also provided some pages to explain how to use Excel to create different types of graphs. If students already know how to use Excel then the project should not take more than a couple of days to complete. However, if teachers decide to use the project to teach students how to use Excel then it may take a little longer depending on your students’ experience with Excel and the use of data. |
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Sandra Rutherford 734-487-8588 Email: srutherf@emich.edu |
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Contact |
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This webpage was prepared by Sandra Rutherford and the Office of Education and Outreach at the GLERL under award #NA07SEC4690004 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or the U.S. Department of Commerce. |
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· Gurley-Dilger, L. 1992, Gowin’s Vee: Linking the lecture and the laboratory. The Science Teacher 59 (3): 50-57. · Roehrig, G., J.A. Luft, and M. Edwards. 2001. Versatile Vee Maps. The Science Teacher 68 (1):28-31. |
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We would like to thank the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) and Rochelle Sturtevant for helping the EMU Research Fellows find the appropriate data and for giving them experience with how the data are collected. Ann Marshall — Summer Fellow 2008 |
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Additional Resources
National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration education webpage.
Centers for ocean sciences education excellence.
An ocean of free teacher-approved marine education resources.
Fisheries Learning on the Web developed by Michigan Sea Grant College Program webpage.
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