Making sense of data
In this recorded professional learning session, Andrea Soanes and Lyn Rogers explore how teachers can confidently support their students to interpret and make sense of the data they collect.
The focus is on how to engage students in science and to build their understandings of the nature of science whilst developing their science capabilities. This session will be valuable for both primary and secondary school teachers.
Making sense of data
Video recording of the Making sense of data webinar.
Watching the recorded webinar creates an opportunity to engage with science ideas, concepts and Science Learning Hub resources. It discusses how these can be used to enhance students’ data-collection skills.
A great way to refresh the brain and rethink about questions to ask students.
The PowerPoint and recorded webinar provide ideas and information that will support teachers of any year level to:
enhance students’ understanding about data and evidence
build on students’ understandings of the nature of science
help develop students’ science capabilities
explore relevant resources on the Science Learning Hub.
Watch the video (above) of this professional development session (you may want to download it) and also see below the index and the PowerPoint presentation.
Making sense of data – slideshow
This slideshow, from the webinar Making sense of data, provides additional support for the video tutorial.
Use the Slideshow menu for further options, including view full screen, and go here for the download option.
| Topic | PowerPoint slide number(s) | Video timecode |
|---|---|---|
Introducing the Science Learning Hub (SLH) and presenters | 1 | 00:03 |
Webinar purpose | 2 | 00:36 |
Connecting data collection to the investigative process | 4–5 | 02:34 |
What is data? | 6–8 | 03:16 |
Data vs evidence | 9–15 | 03:34 |
Qualitative vs quantitative data | 12–13 | 07:35 |
Exploring data-collecting tools and activities | 14–15 | 10:50 |
Enhancing teaching and learning | 16 | 19:25 |
Sharing ideas for data collection | 17–18 | 20:50 |
Social media links, thanks and comments | 19 | 22:41 |
Nature of science
Data and evidence underpin scientific knowledge and theories about the world. An understanding about data and evidence is crucial for students to understand science.
The related webinar Delving into data explores how teachers can confidently plan opportunities to build on their students’ data-collection skills, how to engage students in science and to build their understandings of the nature of science whilst developing their science capabilities.
Activity ideas
The activities Using weather data, Interpreting representations using climate data and Using infographics offer opportunities to make sense of weather and climate data.
The activity Mathematics and statistics in a real context shows the relevance of mathematical skills in a real-life context – making New Zealand pest-free.
