Brief Description Objectives Materials and Resources Activity Description

• Grade Level: Upper Elementary - Middle School

• Subject Area: Science

Brief Description

    Students will check and record heart-rates of other classmates. They will then compare and design questions to explain the differences in their findings. Possible explainations might include: the effects of culture, lifestyles, age and gender on heart rate.
Objectives

    Students will:

• Check and record heart rates of fellow students
• Enter the data into a database.
• Form a hypothisis to explain why there are different heart rates present among their peers.
• Design an investigation to test hypothesis.

  
  Materials and Resources

  • paper, pencil and a watch with a second hand.

      In developing our lessons and activities, we made some assumptions about the hardware and software that would be available in the classroom for teachers who visit the LETSNet Website. We assume that teachers using our Internet-based lessons or activities have a computer (PC or Macintosh) with the necessary hardware components (mouse, keyboard, and monitor) as well as software (operating system, TCP/IP software, networking or dial-up software, e-mail and a World Wide Web client program, preferably Netscape, but perhaps Mosaic or Lynx). In the section below, we specify any "special" hardware or software requirements for a lesson or activity (in addition to those described above) and the level of Internet access required to do the activity.

  1. Special hardware requirements: none.
  2. Special software requirements: none.
  3. Internet access: none.
  
  Activity Description
      
  • Divide class into small groups with an even number of students.

  • Designate 1-2 students (depending on the number of computers available) to record all data and enter it into a database.

  • Give each group a watch with second hand.

  • Direct students to choose a partner within their group.

  • Explain the steps to determine heart rate.

  • Record heart rates within each group and give results to the designated students to enter the information into the database.

  • When all the students' heart rates have been recorded, gather as one large group to share and discuss the results.

  • By using a database, you can sort and report data according to categories such as gender, lifestyle etc.
  Possible questions:
  1. Are there differences in boys heart rates compared to girls?
  2. How about lifestyle, activity level, age...?
  3. What information would we need to gather to test for any of these inferences?
  Remember:
  • Recognise similarities and differences
  • Discuss and form questions
  • Raise inferences
  • Deside what data needs to be gathered
  • Gather information relevent for testing inferences
  • Analyze data
  • Recycle if necessary
  • Report findings
  • Raise new questions