Algebra 1/Integrated I Grade Level Lesson Plan
Context: Gapminder
The focus of this context is to have students explore and interpret global data through a powerful and
interactive website called Gapminder. Several important areas within the high school Idaho Content
and Practice Standards can be addressed through this context.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: When we look at data presented visually, what story can it tell?
SAMPLE LESSON PLAN:
Though a full range of High School standards can be targeted through use of Gapminder’s site, this
sample lesson plan and instructional sequence targets the following:
HS-S.ID Summarize, represent, and interpret data on a single count or measurement variable.
● S-ID.2 Use statistics appropriate to the shape of the data distribution to compare center
(median, mean) and spread (interquartile range, standard deviation) of two or more different
data sets.
● S-ID.3 Interpret differences in shape, center, and spread in the context of the data sets,
accounting for possible effects of extreme data points (outliers).
HS-S.ID Summarize, represent, and interpret data on two categorical and quantitative variables.
● S-ID.6 Represent data on two quantitative variables on a scatter plot, and describe how the
variables are related. Recognize possible associations and trends in the data.
HS.S-IC Making inferences and justifying conclusions.
● S-IC.6 Evaluate reports based on data. *This sample lesson addresses this standard informally.
When considering all of the work students will be required to do to answer the Essential Question, it is
likely that they will meet all eight of the Standards for Mathematical Practice. However, the bolded
practices below are specifically targeted in this sample lesson:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
Model with mathematics.
Use appropriate tools strategically.
Attend to precision.
Look for and make use of structure.
Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Materials:
● Individual or small group access to a device that will run the interactive bubble charts on
Gapminder: https://www.gapminder.org/tools/#_locale_id=en;&chart-type=bubbles
● Slides: https://idoteach.boisestate.edu/modal/files/2016/06/Gapminder-Alg-1_Int-I-LessonPlan-Slides.pptx
● Handout:
https://idoteach.boisestate.edu/modal/files/2016/06/GapminderAlg1IntILessonHandout.docx
Instructional Sequence:
Activity Details
Teacher Notes
BEFORE TEACHING THIS LESSON teachers should go to Gapminder and play! There is SO MUCH
information to find, change, and learn. Almost everything can be clicked on and changed to view it in
a different way. The more knowledgeable you are about the interactions you can have with
Gapminder, the more able you will be to answer kids’ questions about the tool.
Pose the Essential Question (Slide 2) When
Allow time for clarifying questions and discussion.
we look at data presented visually, what story
can it tell?
The same bubble chart has been updated since the
video was produced. You can view it here:
Have students watch this video:
https://www.gapminder.org/tools/#_locale_id=en;&c
Hans Rosling’s 200 Countries, 200 Years, 4
hart-type=bubbles
minutes - The Joy of Stats posted to YouTube
at the given URL.
Teachers can choose to question and/or address the
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbkSRLY log scale along the x-axis (Income per person) in this
Sojo&list=PLO_OaQZ3Gmd4HNeeB69s87pj8A particular data set. Students in high school may be
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able to recognize that the values along the x-axis are
doubling without changing the size of the intervals
between them. This can be changed and the chart
can be replayed by clicking on the x-axis label and
changing to a linear scale:
↓
Allow students to access and play around on
Gapminder. They can explore the menus of
data available, the countries, compare
different variables, etc. This is a time for
them to explore some things they are
interested in or even watch some of the
videos posted below the bubble chart:
Just some of things that students can change:
● Variables on the x-axis (including changing
that axis to time, which will allow them to
only view/compare,analyze one variable at a
time)
● Variables on the y-axis
● Scales for each variable (linear or log)
● What the bubble size represents
● Which countries they want to isolate or track
● The speed at which they view the charts, and
pause them at different times
● The type of charts they view:
Pose their assignment:
Select the United States and at least two
other countries that you would like to
compare and check their box in the menu on
the right of the chart.
Determine one interesting variables that you
would like to focus on, and set the y-axis to
that variable. Pay attention to the scale of
the axis.
Set the x-axis to time, and watch the chart
develop.
Prepare a short speech [or written paragraph]
that describes (1) the trends for each country,
(2) the differences in the trends, (3) which
country shows the most variability in their
data and how you know, and (4) your
conjectures as to why the differences in
trends and variability exists.
A way to extend this lesson is to allow students to
compare two variables, much like Hans Rosling did in
the video.
Modeling this for students (see example below) or
chunking the directions may be a good idea.
Here is a sample of a chart comparing Life Expectancy
of the US, China, Germany, and South Africa.
It is the hope that students address the variability in
China’s (red) data, the drops in Germany’s (yellow)
data due to the two World Wars, the lack of
variability in the US (green) data comparatively, and
they may question the drop in South Africa’s (blue)
data after 2000 (a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic).
Also, the hope is that students will include information
about the overall trends being similar, in that the
population has been steadily increasing over the
course of time, but the upward trend happened 40
years or so earlier for Germany and the US. Allowing
students time to research some of the “Why?”
questions that inevitably surface could provide a
richer experience for them.
ASSESSMENT:
Students should present their charts and
speeches to an audience (other small groups,
whole class, or cross-curricularly) and allow
the audience to ask questions. Further
exploration with the charts the students
presented with should be encouraged.
Students could complete a reflection after each or all
of the presentations they viewed. Teachers could ask
them to reflect upon the variability they saw in the
data for different countries, the strongest arguments
made, what surprised them, what they are most
interested in learning more about, etc. in order to
hold them accountable to the learning during the
presentations.