| GRAPHS: YOU MUST HAVE AT LEAST ONE LINE GRAPH! 1. All graphs are to be computer generated. 2. TITLE your graph(s). 3 You may have more than one graph, but only one is required. DO NOT graph each trial separately; instead, average the data and graph the averages*. In some cases, one graph with different colored lines is easier to follow than many different graphs. One to three graphs is ideal. Sometimes, too many lines on a single graph can just look confusing. You make the judgement. *Since you had 3-5 trials for each experiment, you will want to average the data before you graph it. For example, if you measured the height of 3 green bean plants daily for two months, then you should have 60 (days) times 3 (plants) or 180 numbers! For each day, average the 3 measurements. This leaves you with 60 numbers - one for each day. 4. If you are making a line graph, dot graph or bar graph, the time information is ALWAYS on the HORIZONTAL or x-axis. By fifth grade, you should be producing a LINE graph. This was determined by your experimantal design. If I told you to place your changing variable onto a number scale, this is why. If you compared "apples to oranges" than a bar graph is all you can do. 5. Label the x and y axes with: what they are measuring and what units. For the above example, the x-axis would be labeled: TIME (the measured quality) and DAYS (the unit). The y-axis would be labeled: PLANT HEIGHT and CENTIMETERS. 6. The point where the x and y axis meet is always ZERO (0,0). 7. Space the units equally along each axis. Be sure to spread out the graph so the data fills the space you have. You determine how much space is given to each unit. Keep the same scale for each axis independently. That is, the space between 1 and 2 on the x-axis does not have to equal the space between 1 and 2 on the y-axis, BUT it must equal the space between 2 and 3 on the x-axis and so on. Remember, the graph is to turn all of your data into an EASY TO READ visual. In other words, someone looking at the graph should be able to tell easily which plant grew the tallest/fastest. Work on CLARITY in your graphs! |
 |
| DATA and GRAPHS |
| DATA: The data section is required for SIXTH grade, optional for fifth grade. This is a chart that shows all the data you collected, trial by trial. This information was converted onto your graph, and is often called the "raw data" as it is the actual numbers from your experiment.. If you include it, simply place in middle section with the graph(s). |