Applets and Activities
Selected Activities
Collections
When working with applets, also known as virtual manipulatives, students see and
interact with mathematics in ways not possible before the development of
personal computers. The interactive, dynamic capacity of these online learning
tools enables the student to immediately see the result when changing a data
point on a graph or checking an answer to a calculation. Here we suggest
excellent online resources for visualizing statistical concepts. Each suggested
resource is from online collections featuring outstanding teacher support and
materials for teaching standards-based topics in grades 6-8.
Students can use this virtual manipulative to construct box plots to summarize
data. They enter data into a table, and the manipulative displays the minimum
and maximum data values, the lower and upper quartiles, and the median. The
number in the data set, the average, and the standard deviation are also shown.
In addition, the manipulative allows users to order the data. Instructions for
using the manipulative, suggestions for the classroom, and a link to the
standard for data analysis and probability, established by the National Council
of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), are included. MSP full record
Did you ever wonder how fish and wildlife experts determine how many of which
fish to stock in a lake or pond? They use a method called capture-recapture, a
statistical tool that lets them estimate the size of populations. This activity
challenges students to estimate the total number of fish in a pond, given the
numbers of fish initially tagged and released, the tagged fish recaptured, and
the total number of recaptured fish. MSP full record
This applet, with associated lesson plans and statistics background information,
offers a great way to dynamically examine the relationship between data points
and a best fit function. After entering data points, the student uses a slider
bar to select the constants in a linear, quadratic, exponential, or
trigonometric function to determine the line or curve that best approximates
the data. Whether using linear or higher order equations, the applet offers an
excellent visual for understanding the best fit function and making predictions
based on data. MSP full record
Students can use this manipulative to construct histograms by entering data into
a table. The program notes minimum and maximum data values, median and average,
number in the data set, and standard deviation. Instructions for using the
manipulative, suggestions for the classroom, and a link to the standard for
data analysis and probability, established by the National Council of Teachers
of Mathematics (NCTM), are included. MSP full record
Visualizing linear regression is easy to do with this colorful and simple-to-use
applet. The student enters data points by clicking on a green graph showing the
first quadrant. As blue data points appear, the applet displays a red line
passing through the point for the average x and average y values.
A scroll bar enables the student to rotate the slope of the red line to
approximate a line of best fit. The applet can add a calculated blue line of
best fit line when a button is clicked. The equations for the red approximate
line and the calculated blue line of best fit are displayed along with a
thermometer illustrating how well the approximate red line fits the data
points. This applet may sound complicated, but be assured it offers a great
visual for demonstrating how the equation of a line can serve as a data
summary. MSP full record
This virtual manipulative enables students to construct scatterplots
illustrating the relationship between two variables. Students click on points
on a grid to enter data. The manipulative displays a red regression line that
approximates the set of indicated points. A yellow dot indicates the mean value
for the data. The number of points, the average x and y values,
the correlation coefficient, and the equation for the regression line appear on
the screen. Instructions for using the manipulative, suggestions for the
classroom, and a link to the standard for data analysis and probability,
established by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), are
included. MSP full record
Students compare the median salaries of men and women over a period of years and
try to determine if women's salaries will ever be equal to those of men. The
activity explains how data interpretation is important in such industries as
advertising, athletics, and insurance. It suggests that students approach the
problem by using fractions or difference to compare the salaries and then
looking for trends. The exploration also has activities to investigate percent
increase and extrapolation. Questions are posed to encourage students to think
about factors that might affect trends in salaries, as well as factors that
might cause women's salaries to be lower than men's. MSP full record
The 80 mathematical challenges found on this site encourage problem solving with
students in grades 6 to 8. The index page organizes the activities by math
topic. The math challenges focus on concepts and objects found in everyday
life, such as how fast your heart beats, what shape container holds the most
popcorn, and how much of a person shows in a mirror. Each challenge contains an
initial problem with a solution hint, a complete explanation of the answer, and
additional problems related to the same challenge. Resources for further
investigations are suggested as well. From the Printing the Challenges link on
the homepage, pdf files are available for all 80 challenges in English, the
first 15 challenges in Spanish, and the family resource materials in English
and Spanish. MSP full record
This site features more than 60 virtual manipulatives designed to function as
concept tutorials. The virtual manipulatives encourage active student
exploration with numbers and can help students visualize mathematical
relationships. Student activities and lesson plans accompany many of the
virtual manipulatives, each of which is linked to an explanation of the
relevant NCTM Standards. The resources are organized into five
categories based on the Standards: number and operations; algebra;
geometry; measurement; and data analysis and probability. MSP full record
These interactive activities, or applets, are designed for individual or small
group learning. With each applet there are links to the activity's purpose, a
description of functionality, and information about how the mathematics fits
into the curriculum. The teacher background information found here is
particularly useful. Lesson plans, handouts, and student discussion questions
are usually provided. Organized by four content standards found in the NCTM Principles
and Standards for School Mathematics and the NCEE New Standards
Performance Standards: Middle School, the site's four sections are
number and operations; algebra; geometry; measurement; and data analysis and
probability. MSP full record
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Copyright
June 2005 — The Ohio State University. This material is based upon work
supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0424671. Any
opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this
material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of
the National Science Foundation.
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This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons License.
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