Lesson at a Glance | He Tirohanga Whakamua
Ngā Whāinga Ako | Learning Intentions
Students will know
- How to calculate reliable mean averages for each IV condition from raw trial data.
- How to spot an anomalous outlier (e.g. 14, 15, 3) and justify excluding it from mean calculations.
- The standard conventions for graphing continuous scientific data in Level 1 Science (SALT acronym: Scale, Axes, Labels + Units, Title).
Students will demonstrate
- By calculating processed means for all 5 IV conditions and plotting a scientific scatter/line graph.
- By completing Section 6 of their Level 1 Science Biological Investigation Logbook.
Curriculum alignment
- NZC (2007) · Science · Level 6 · Nature of Science: “Apply their understandings of science to evaluate both popular and scientific texts (including visual and numerical literacy).”
- NZC (2007) · Science · Level 6 · Nature of Science: “Use a wider range of science vocabulary, symbols, and conventions.”
Do Now | Tīmatanga Whakaaro (10 min)
Data Processing Prompt:
"Trial 1: 12 bubbles, Trial 2: 13 bubbles, Trial 3: 2 bubbles. What is the mean, and why is calculating (12+13+2)/3 = 9.0 incorrect science?"
Unpack: 2 is an anomaly caused by a momentary air pocket or timer error. Including it skews the mean downwards to 9.0. Correct scientific procedure is to cross out the anomaly, state the reason, and calculate the mean of the reliable trials: (12+13)/2 = 12.5 bubbles.
The SALT Rule for NCEA Scientific Graphing (15 min)
📏 S — Scale
Equal intervals covering at least 50% of the graph grid. Do not use awkward scale multipliers (e.g. 3, 7, 9).
📈 A — Axes
Independent Variable on X-axis (horizontal). Dependent Variable mean on Y-axis (vertical).
🏷️ L — Labels & Units
Clear text labels on both axes with exact measurement units in parentheses (e.g. Distance from Lamp (cm)).
📌 T — Title
Descriptive title stating the relationship: "The effect of [IV] on the mean [DV] in [Organism]".
📁 Biological Investigation Logbook — Section 6: Processed Data & Graph
Students open their Level 1 Science Logbook and complete Section 6:
Section 6 Requirements:
1. Processed Data Table: Columns for IV level, Trial 1, Trial 2, Trial 3, Anomalies Excluded, and Calculated Mean (rounded to 1 decimal place).
2. Scientific Graph: Hand-drawn grid plot or digital chart following the SALT rule, with points accurately plotted and a line of best fit or point-to-point line.
3. Anomaly Statement: 1 sentence explaining any discarded outliers (or stating "No anomalies observed").
Exit Verification | Ka Mutu Hoki (5 min)
Exit Check:
"My Section 6 table contains calculated means for all 5 IV levels, and my graph includes full SALT labels ready for Lesson 7 conclusion writing."
Teacher Planning & NCEA Alignment
NCEA Level 1 Science Alignment (4 Credits):
- Data Processing: Process and represent raw data in an appropriate format (table of means and scientific graph).
- Graphing Conventions: Follow standard scientific graphing conventions (SALT rule, line of best fit / trend line).
Vocabulary: Processed mean, anomaly, outlier, SALT rule, scale, X-axis, Y-axis, trend line, data processing.
Other teaching approach: Guided Viewing & Practical Investigation →