Activity Introduction

Outdoor Learning – Mini-beast quadrant sampling – Mathematics – Year 7

Lesson summary


Students design and carry out a survey, collecting data on the mini-beast populations of the schoolyard.

This lesson is designed to be taught outside. It contains all the tools required for students to reap the benefits of being outdoors while learning the outcomes of the Australian Curriculum. By spending time outdoors and connecting to nature, students are more likely to care for and conserve nature as adults.

Learning intentions:

Students will:

  • identify corresponding, alternate and co-interior relationships between angles formed when parallel lines are crossed by a transversal

Success Criteria:

Students can:

  • find angles in nature

Lesson details


  • Problem-Solving
  • Critical thinking
 

Australian Curriculum (v9.0) content descriptions – Mathematics

Students learn to:

acquire data sets for discrete and continuous numerical variables and calculate the range, median, mean and mode; make and justify decisions about which measures of central tendency provide useful insights into the nature of the distribution of data (AC9M7ST01)

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking. 

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability.

Relevant parts of Year 7 achievement standards:

By the end of Year 7, students plan and conduct statistical investigations involving discrete and continuous numerical data, using appropriate displays. Students interpret data in terms of the shape of distribution and summary statistics, identifying possible outliers.

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – oversee activity and facilitate discussion.

We don’t have any related professional courses for this lesson at the moment, but we do have heaps of other Cool professional learning here.

 

Worksheets

Teacher Worksheet

Outdoor Learning - Mini-beast quadrant sampling - Mathematics - Year 7

Teacher content information

Outdoor Learning Series: https://vimeo.com/171030135

Factsheets:

Teacher instructions

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

  • 10 minutes - Tune in: Mini-beasts
  • 15 minutes - Find out: Mathematical theory
  • 25 minutes - Take action: Gathering and analysing data

Tune in: Leaf lengths

Step 1. If you aren't already outside, take the class to your outdoor learning space. Review outdoor learning rules and the benefits of outdoor learning with students, including potential hazards and actions to take in the event of hazards.

Step 2. Discuss:

  • What is a 'mini-beast'? Mini-beasts are just about everywhere and are a vital part of our ecosystem. Here are some suggestions on how and where you might find th
...
 
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Student Worksheet

Outdoor Learning - Mini-beast quadrant sampling - Mathematics - Year 7

Student Worksheet

Thought-starter: What would we do without worms?

Category of mini-beast Tally in your quadrant

1. Calculate the mean number of mini-beasts you found per square metre.

2. Do you think this is a fair representation of the mini-beast population at your school? Why/why not?

3. Estimate the total size of your school in square metres.

4. How many minibeasts do you estimate would be found in your school? Justify your answer.

5. List the total mini-beasts recorded by each group in your class.

6. What was the total area sampled by your class?

5. Using your class data calculate the mean number of mini-beast per metre found in your school.

6. Does this result support your mean number of mini-beast per metre?

7. Explain the similarities/differences between your group's results and the class's re

...
 
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