Source: Cyberchase: “Raising the Bar”
Funding for the VITAL/Ready to Teach collection was secured through the United States Department of Education under the Ready to Teach Program.
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Lesson Plans Using this Resource:
In this video segment from Cyberchase, the CyberSquad analyzes the bar graph data showing the number of bugs in each room in the Cybrary. After comparing their bar graph to the one created by Hacker, the CyberSquad realizes that the issue may be a difference in scale. This segment is the second of three segments. Check out “Inventing Bar Graphs” to see how the CyberSquad created their bar graph. Watch “The Power of the Whole Picture” to see how they explain the difference between the two graphs to Ms. Fileshare.
Download and ShareHere are some Frame, Focus and Follow-up suggestions for using this video in a math lesson.
What is Frame, Focus and Follow-up?
Frame: Think about bar graphs you have seen. What are the different parts of a bar graph? What parts are labeled? How are numbers used? What do the bars mean?
Focus: In this video segment, the CyberSquad compares their bar graph to Hacker’s. What do they notice is missing from their bar graph? What do they mean when they talk about the “scale” of the graph?
Follow Up: What kind of scale was Hacker using on his graph? What kind of scale was the CyberSquad using on their graph? How do you decide what kind of scale to use when you are creating a graph?
DIGIT: We gotta convince Fileshare to spray this place, pronto! Digit starts away, but Matt pulls him back.
MATT: Hold it! Because of me, she won't believe a thing we say.
INEZ: But our bar graph did have her convinced...for a moment, anyway. We know that it's right.
JACKIE: But Hacker's graph wasn't wrong.
DIGIT: How can they both be right?!
INEZ: I don’t know. Let’s check ‘em out!
JACKIE: Look! Hacker's bar graph has numbers on it!
JACKIE: But ours doesn't!
MATT: So what? Our bars stand for the same numbers his do.
INEZ: But because we knew what our numbers were, we didn't bother to put them on our graph!
JACKIE: Ooh! We didn't even number our scale! And that's what shows how much each bar stands for.
DIGIT: Scale? Did you say scale? That's what Squeaky Throat said; "You didn't fail...check the scale!"
MATT: Touchdown! Jax, add the scale!
JACKIE: Will do!
JACKIE: Let's see, our scale goes up by twos. The top number is fourteen, since that's the highest number of bugs we counted in any section.
JACKIE: But Hacker's History bar reads fourteen, also! Matt points to the History bar that reads 14 as well.
MATT: So how come it only goes this far up his graph?
INEZ: What scale is he using?
DIGIT: Yeah, scale...what scale?!
JACKIE: Whoa, each of his scale lines goes up by fifteen. With a top number of 105!
INEZ: Why did he use such a high number? He didn't have to.
MATT: That's right - he didn't have to! He wanted to - to hide the truth! C'mon!
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