Data in the Classroom: Understanding Sea Level

NOAA Data in the Classroom

This module contains five activities, in increasing complexity, that focus on understanding how to interpret and manipulate sea level data, using real data from NOAA. Students first need to understand how to access and interpret sea surface height and tide data. To understand how to interpret these data, students will review and practice computing mean values. Along the way, they will learn how different factors, such as storms, affect tide levels and how to measure them. The goal is for students to become experienced with these kinds of data and the tools for accessing them so that, by the end of the module, they can continue to explore data sets driven by their own inquiry.

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Notes from our reviewers

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Working in small groups and class discussions will help students with different learning styles. Students could be broken into groups to learn about one type of graph and then gather real data. The students could then present their findings and how to read their graphs to the other groups. Heavy math (map reading/mean calculation). Educator will want to ensure those topics have been covered or time is allotted for review. While lessons incorporate internet access in the instructions, many of the maps included in the teaching guide are static and any instruction to manipulate data in real time online could be modified to incorporate the static copies. A curriculum guide and resources support the educators, students, and the website resources. Academic vocabulary is not always defined (deviation, magnitude, frequency, amplifying) and may need to be provided during instruction.
The activities are organized as a pathway, with five levels of increasing sophistication. Various levels could allow for differentiated instruction. Computer models have a good "check for understanding" quiz. Includes simple classroom demonstrations to establish baseline knowledge, national education standards for each activity level, and relevant ocean literacy principles. Teacher download provides sample questions (and possible answers) for leading discussions.