WEEK THREE - Task 2

Standard 8.1 Educational Technology: All students will use digital tools to access, manage, evaluate, and synthesize information in order to solve problems individually and collaboratively and to create and communicate knowledge.

By grade 12: The use of technology and digital tools requires knowledge and appropriate use of operations and related applications.

CPI: 8.1.12.A.1 - Construct a spreadsheet, enter data, and use mathematical or logical functions to manipulate data, generate charts and graphs, and interpret the results.

Students are expected to be able take data in its raw form and transform it so that it can be used to interpret the data. Students should be able to create a spreadsheet that is organized and capable of displaying the data correctly. With this data students should be able to apply mathematical functions, sort into groups, and highlight key numbers. Students should also be able to produce visual depictions of the data. Graphs and charts make large amounts of data user-friendly. With these tools students can more easily interpret data and form conclusions as to what the data means.

My content area is Earth Science.

Task: Evaluate how the water level in the Rondout Creek is effected by:

-          Rainfall

-          An adjacent ground water treatment pumping system

-          An upstream dam

Identify on what dates the creek exceeded the flood levels.

Methods and Procedures: Students will be provided with water level in the Rondout Creek, and rainfall data from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website as well as dates of pumping and dam releases. They will enter dates, times and water levels of the Rondout Creek into an Excel spreadsheet. In the excel spreadsheet they will use conditional formatting with a mathematical function to determine when the Rondout Creek exceeded the provided flood standards. Flood occurrences will be bolded and boxed. Next, students will generate a graph showing changes in water level. Students will follow the same table and graph procedures with the rainfall data. The two graphs will be plotted in the same window to be used for comparison. Using the two graphs and information from the pumping system and upstream dam students will be able to see how each of the factors influenced water level in the Rondout Creek.