Handling Data

Alien Plants

Age range 10 - 14 Key Stages 2 and 3

These simulations involve changing variables by entering data and seeing the effect.

They have also been successfully used in Year 6 Science lessons to provide an
opportunity to carry out experiments with several variables and interpret the data produced.

How to use the software:
The aim is to grow a Universe record beating plant. There are three types of food which can be fed to the plants: foods A, B and C. Try to work out which food the sunflower likes and which one it hates (what about the third food?..work that out). Perhaps the children could decide what sort of food alien plants eat.

To see how one type of food affects the plant's growth then just feed it the food that it likes, starting with 0 and going up in increments of 10, as in this example.

Then plot a line graph.

Links to the National Numeracy Strategy

Mangonel and Alien Plants address the following objective(s) from the National Numeracy Strategy :

Year 6
Begin to draw and interpret a line graph, in which intermediate values have a meaning.

Links to the Maths National Curriculum
Using and Applying maths
Children should be taught to:

• find different ways of approaching a problem in order to overcome any difficulties.
• search for a pattern in their results; develop logical thinking and explain their reasoning.

Handling Data
Children should be taught to:

• select and use handling data skills when solving problems...
• approach problems flexibly, including trying alternative approaches to overcome difficulties.
• identify the data necessary to solve a given problem
• decide how best to organise and present findings.
• solve problems involving data.
• represent and interpret discrete data using graphs.. including.. line graphs.

Pupils should explore and use a variety of resources and materials, including ICT.