Integrating Spreadsheets into Science Curriculum

Microsoft Excel and Google Spreadsheets are powerful learning tools for K-12 students. According to Pamela Lewis, the author of Spreadsheet Magic:

• Spreadsheet assignments offer concrete ways to explore abstract concepts.
• A spreadsheet is a helpful tool for visual learners.
• Using spreadsheets promotes higher order thinking skills. The spreadsheet tool promotes the development of problem solving skills and supports "What if..." type questions.
• Students make charts and graphs from spreadsheet records, learning to organize their ideas and present information to an audience. Charts and graphs add meaning to information, helping students to analyze and interpret data.
• Students are motivated to complete tasks in a Risk Free Environment, where errors can be easily corrected or edited.

I have compiled useful ideas and links for integration of spreadsheets into science curriculum.

1. Acid Rain in Our State

Students research a serious environmental problem—acid rain―which affects many communities. They use the Internet to research pH levels of rainwater for their state, collect data from their community, and investigate the causes of and solutions for acid rain. Then, they present data in a Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet and draw conclusions.

School level: middle school, high school.

Software: Microsoft Word and Excel.

2. How Do Earthquakes Affect Buildings?

In this lesson, students get the opportunity to simulate earthquakes of different magnitudes online and see how they affect buildings. Students will first choose the location and then the earthquake. They'll examine the earthquake-proofing construction for their building. Then, they will chart their simulated data in Microsoft Office Excel so that they can develop conclusions based on their findings. This activity works well with students working in group.

School level: middle school, high school.

Software: Microsoft Word and Excel.

3. Weather Scope: An Investigative Study of Weather and Climate

Students read a climate report about their city to make distinctions and study the differences between weather and climate reports for their particular region. Using Real-Time images or data on the Internet instead of information out of a textbook not only engages students, but also brings a real world connection right into the classroom. Students create a comparison chart in Microsoft Excel that displays both the average monthly temperature over one year in the form of a Line graph and average monthly precipitation over one year in the form of a Bar graph.

School level: upper elementary, middle school and high school students.

Software: Microsoft Word and Excel.

4. Spinning Coins

Students use Excel to analyze the data obtained by groups of pupils performing Activity 13 'Spinning Coins.' Each group of pupils spins a coin 50 times and they record their results in a table. This is the raw data that they will use for further analysis. The first stage of their analysis is to count the frequency of runs of heads which they record in a second table. The next stage is to add their results to the class results.

School level: upper elementary, middle school.

Software: Microsoft Excel.

5. Healthiest Fast Food

Students determine number of calories and grams of fat in food items at four fast food restaurants, enter the information into a spreadsheet, create a graph to accurately represent the data, analyze the information to determine the healthiest restaurant, and create a word processing article with the chart detailing conclusions.

School level: upper elementary, middle school.

Software: Microsoft Word and Excel.

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I would appreciate any other ideas or useful links for integrating spreadsheets into science curriculum.