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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In this video segment from Cyberchase, the CyberSquad discovers a bug problem in the Cybrary. They know that something needs to be done to stop the bugs before they eat everything in the Cybrary, so the CyberSquad creates a bar graph to display the number of bugs they found in each room. Ms. Fileshare is concerned about the bug problem until she is shown a different bar graph that shows the number of bugs in each room to be much smaller. The CyberSquad must figure out why the two graphs look different and which one shows the correct number of bugs in each room. This segment is the first of three segments. Check out “Attention to Scaling" to see how the CyberSquad discovers the difference in the two graphs. Then watch “The Power of the Whole Picture” to see how they explain the difference in 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: You have probably seen bar graphs used as a way to represent data in a very visual way. What kind of data have you seen represented in bar graphs? If you saw a bar graph of the average temperatures of major cities from around the world, would it be easy to compare them? How would you know which cities are the warmest? Would you be able to tell how much warmer the hottest city is compared to the coldest city? How?
Focus: In this video segment, the CyberSquad collects data about the bugs they count in various sections of the Cybrary. How do they represent this data? As you look at the CyberSquads data representation, decide which section has the most bugs. Is the amount much greater than the other sections? How much more?
Follow Up: Why do you think the CyberSquad used a bar graph to display the data they collected about the bugs in the Cybrary? Why do you think Hacker’s bar graph looked different from the CyberSquad’s? Is there anything the CyberSquad can do to help convince Ms. Fileshare that the bug problem is as big as their graph indicates?
MATT: Right. But how are we going to show Ms.Fileshare she has a bug problem - if she doesn't have time to see the bugs for herself?
INEZ: I counted fourteen right here in the History section. Compared to the other sections, this one is a disaster! She watches a cyber-fiche scurry past her.
JACKIE: Compare! That's it! If we show her a comparison of the bugs we found in each section - that should get her attention!
MATT: Yeah! But we've got to do it fast - or those bugs will eat everything in the Cybrary!
DIGIT: Bad news, Earthlies! I just found another bug - this one in the Travel Section!
JACKIE: Things are getting worse!
DIGIT: Whoa! No kidding! Between lookin' for bugs and workin'...I'm pooped! He turns toward the Atrium, points across it with his wing.
DIGIT: See those four cybrary carts? Digit’s POV looking across the atrium. At one spot are 4 carts in vertical alignment over four grid lines. They light up one by one.
DIGIT: That's how many carts of stuff I've shelved today! And that's just me.
DIGIT: You girls have each done one. And Mattster, you've done two.
INEZ: Digit, you're a genius! Inez’s comment takes Digit by surprise.
DIGIT: I am? Oh, yeah, I forgot. What did I do?
INEZ: You just showed us how to make a visual comparison for Ms. Fileshare!
MATT: Ladies and gentlemen, what we have here is a bug chart - a real live bar graph! A visual comparison of how many bugs we saw!
MATT: One bug in Science, three in Math, one in Travel...and a whopping fourteen in History!
DIGIT: Too bad we can't take the graph with us to show Ms. Fileshare.
INEZ: We can!
INEZ: I've made a smaller version that's portable and easy to read. Let's find Ms. Fileshare!
JACKIE: Where is she? The kids and Digit walk past the return chute and bin.
JACKIE: She's supposed to be here in the sorting section. Ms. Fileshare, her hands full of books, pops out of the bin.
MS. FILESHARE: I am in the sorting section.
MATT: We've got something to show you.
MS. FILESHARE: I only have thirty seconds to spare. Please hurry.
INEZ: We've made a bar graph that shows how many bugs we found in four sections of the Cybrary.
INEZ: These labels let you see right away what sections each bar stands for. Science...Math...Travel...and History! Hmm, check out History. She runs her finger along the long bar in history.
MS. FILESHARE: Well, we've always had a few bugs here and there - but never that many in one section.
MATT: That's what we've been trying to tell you.
MS. FILESHARE: I'm convinced! Come with me. Fileshare leads the kids and Digit away...
BUZZ: Faster!
HACKER: Whatever you say, boss! Hacker triples his chop speed and Buzz vibrates on the table.
BUZZ: S-s-s-s-l-l-l-l-l-o-o-o-wer-r-r-r!
MS. FILESHARE'S VOICE: Mr. Vermin Vexer! Buzz and Hacker jerk their head up towards the screen.
MS. FILESHARE: Are you there? Buzz’s eyes go wide.
BUZZ: Fileshare??? Buzz jumps off the table and races to get the Vermin Vexer headgear. He rushes to the console with the head gear on.
MS. FILESHARE: I need to speak to you right away.
BUZZ (AS VERMIN VEXER): Can I uh, help you, eh?
MS. FILESHARE: Feast your eyes on this bar graph my volunteers made!
MS. FILESHARE: Science...Math...Travel...and finally, History! As you can see, there's a bundle of bugs in the History section! Explain!
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