Demystifying Scientific Data
A Teaching Unit in Analyzing Scientific Data
by Esther Santos and Peter Nassiff
created under the Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program at MIT Haystack Observatory in cooperation with the National Science Foundation.
Demystifying Scientific Data introduces high school students and their instructors to a critical aspect of science, the essential skills of data analysis and interpretation. From the complex steps of measurement and data analysis, students and teachers will, as part of class activities, gain insight into scientific research processes as they exist today by giving them useful experience performing authentic scientific tasks. From units based on the scientific research in radio astronomy, geodesy, and space weather, students will see the role of uncertainty, measurement, and error in science, analyze evidence, and evaluate data critically. They will gain a first hand view of the process of science- transforming raw data into explanatory theories.
Table of Contents
Introduction
National and Massachusetts Education Standards
- National Science Education Standards
- Massachusetts Science Framework Standards
- Massachusetts Mathematics Framework Standards
Science, Measurements, Uncertainty, and Error
- PowerPoint Notes on Measurements, Uncertainty, and Error
- PowerPoint Presentation: Measurements, Uncertainty, and Error
- Worksheet Accuracy and Precision
- Activity Measurement and Uncertainty in Pennies
- WebQuest The Meaning of Measure
- Activity Teacher Version: Who is the Most Accurate Researcher?
- Activity Student Version: Who is the Most Accurate Researcher?
- Activity Investigating Types of Error
Statistics and Science
- PowerPoint Notes on the Principles of Probability
- PowerPoint Presentation: Statistics and Science
- WebQuest Exploring the Normal Distribution
- Activity - Coin Flipping
Principles of Probability
- PowerPoint Notes on the Principles of Probability
- PowerPoint Presentation
- Worksheet Finding the Probability of an Event I
- Worksheet Finding the Probability of an Event II
- Activity Law of Large Numbers I
- WebQuest Code Cracking and the Law of Large Numbers II
- Activity Using Spreadsheets to Show the Law of Large Numbers III
Statistics, Probability and Decision Making
- PowerPoint Notes on Statistics, Probability
- PowerPoint Presentation
- Worksheet The Normal Distribution
Plate Tectonics, Geodesy, and VLBI
- PowerPoint Notes on Plate Tectonics, Geodesy, and VLBI
- PowerPoint Presentation
- Introduction to Plate Tectonic Theory, Geodesy and VLBI
- Worksheet Plate Tectonic Theory
- Activity Calculating Continental Drift Between Europe and North America
The 21-cm Line
- PowerPoint Notes on the 21-cm Line
- PowerPoint Presentation
- Concept Review The Hydrogen 21-cm Line
- Worksheet The Hydrogen 21-cm Emission Line
- Activity Galactic Rotation
MASERs
Solar Activity and Space Weather
- PowerPoint Notes on Solar Activity and Space Weather
- PowerPoint Presentation
- The Introduction to the Sun, Solar Activity, and the SRT
- Introduction to Space Weather
- Worksheet - Studying Space Weather: The Incoherent Scatter Radar
- Worksheet Student Version of Learn About Space Weather
- Worksheet Teacher Version of Learn About Space Weather
- Activity Student Version of Solar Flares on Your Birthday
- Activity Teacher Version of Solar Flares on Your Birthday
- The Collection and Analysis of Atmospheric Science Data
- Worksheet Analyzing Space Weather Data
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