Community Research Project:
Over the next few weeks we will be learning how to read, create, collect and analyze different types of data to better understand the world around us. This project will span our entire unit on data. We will complete different parts of the project as we learn more about how to organize and analyze the data we have collected. Here is a list of the steps we will be taking to complete our research.
Step 1: Choose a group. You will be working in small groups. Each member of the group will need to contribute to the project, and the group will be asked to work as a team, so choose your groups wisely. You will also be rated as a team on the following outcomes: collaborate, investigate, communicate and argue. Please make sure you keep your Group Work Observation Document up to date so I can assess you as accurately as possible.
Step 2: Create a research question. The first step in the research process is to identify what it is you want to know more about. As a group, choose one research question about your community that everyone in the group is interesting in exploring with data. Complete the survey on my website to submit your Research Question.
Step 3: Conduct Background Research. Next your group needs to identify what ideas, research, and data is already out there about your topic. Does this research clarify and ideas you already had? Does it help you think of new ideas or pieces of data you many want to consider? Add this research to your Planning Document.
Step 4: Collect your data. Now your group needs to find data that will help answer your question. You may use data that already exists online or you may choose to collect your own data or a little bit of both. Please talk to me if your group could use assistance in finding data sources to answer your question. Make sure you collect enough data and different types of data to fully answer your research question.
Step 5: Organize your data. When organizing your data you may choose to make graphs, tables and equations that will help summarize your data. You may also compare as many different types of data as you need to help you understand your question and make sense of what is happening. Please see me if you want to know about some ways you can use technology to help you organize your data easily and quickly.
Step 6: Analyze your data. Go through our organized data and as a group use it to make appropriate and mathematically correct generalizations. How accurate and reliable are the generalizations you’re making? What are these numbers saying about your research question? Add these ideas to your Planning Document.
Step 7: Answer your research question. The groups task is then to use your generalizations to help you answer your research question. Was there any data that you were missing that could have helped you answer this question more fully? What does this mean for our community now and what changes could we make as a community for our future? How can we make our community better? What future research may you want to do?