Physics: Skills of Science - Building and Interpreting Graphs

Objectives

• Students will develop a practical understanding of the necessary components of a graph in science.
• Students will understand the difference between independent and dependent variables.
• Students will evaluate regression models and understand the concepts of rate of change and y-intercept.
• Students will enter, graph, and analyze data.
• Students will evaluate graphs that show different trends—both linear and non-linear.

Vocabulary

• axis scaling
• dependent variable
• independent variable
• linear
• non-linear
• rate of change (slope)
• regression models
• y-intercept

About the Lesson

This lesson involves students in using TI-Nspire technology to understand the fundamentals of good graphing in the science classroom and laboratory.
As a result, students will:

• Understand variables, rates of change, and regression models.
• Accurately graph data in a viewer-friendly, usable way.