Eco-Trekkers’ Online Data Questions

Note to teachers:

• Not all questions need to be asked.
• The teacher should decide which questions best meets the needs of the students
• Calculators should be made available.
• Online Data Questions may be worked on during math class in addition to or instead of science class.
• Online Data Questions do not have to be worked on immediately after Eco- Trekkers field study but can wait until students have completed the Statistics Unit in math.

Salinity:

1. Observe the chart for salinity. Identify the range for the salinity at each of the ecosystems for the month prior to and including your school’s Eco-Trekker visit.
   
2. Which ecosystem has the greatest range for salinity? (It should be the shoreline. The salinity levels of the Bay water typically fluctuates the most of all the ecosystems due to droughts and heavy rainfalls. The droughts increases salinity levels because less fresh water is being discharged into the Bay and an increased volume of salt water comes in from the Atlantic Ocean. Salinity levels generally decrease due to heavy rains. Heavy rainfall increases the fresh water river flow into the Chesapeake Bay thereby decreasing salinity levels.)
   
3. Observe the chart for salinity. Identify the mean for the salinity at each of the ecosystems. Which is greatest and which is least? (The shoreline will most likely have the greatest mean and the forest will most likely have the smallest mean. The shoreline’s mean salinity will most likely be the greatest because the Atlantic Ocean’s salt water flows in the Bay. The forest will most likely have the smallest mean because it only receives rain water which is fresh water.)
   
4. Observe the chart for salinity. Use a calculator to identify the mean salinity of each of ecosystem’s salinities for the week prior to and including your school’s Eco-Trekker visit.
   
5. Observe the chart for salinity. Identify the median for each of the ecosystem’s salinities. Which is greatest and which is least?
   
6. Observe the chart for salinity. Including your school’s visit, use a calculator to identify the salinity median of each ecosystem for the week prior to your school’s Eco-Trekker visit.
   
7. Observe the chart for salinity. Identify the salinity mode for each of the ecosystems. Which is greatest and which is least?
   
8. Observe the chart for salinity. Identify the mode at each of the ecosystems for the week prior to and including your school’s Eco-Trekker visit.
   
9. Observe one of the line graphs for salinity. Identify the title of the graph (i.e.- “Salinity Line Graph: Shoreline”)
   
10. Observe one of the line graphs for salinity. Identify the title of the x-axis (i.e.- “Date”)
    
11. Observe one of the line graphs for salinity. Identify the title of the y-axis (i.e.- “Salinity (parts per thousand)”)
    
12. Observe the line graphs for salinity. Including your school’s visit, identify the salinity range of each of the ecosystems.
    
13. Which ecosystem’s salinity line graph has the greatest range? (It should be the shoreline’s.) Is it the same as the results from the chart showing salinity? (yes)
    
14. Was it easier to find the range on the line graph or the chart? (Answers could vary although it is most likely that the line graph was easier to find the range as it is visually easier to identify the high and low points on the graphcompared to the chart.)
    
15. Identify any outliers on the line graphs.
    
16. Observe the line graphs for salinity. Including your school’s visit, identify any trends for each of the ecosystem’s salinity line graphs. (Trends may or may not be visible.) You may ask students to identify if there are any trends seasonally. (Trends should be visible seasonally.)
    

Water Temperature:

1. Observe the chart for water temperature. Use a calculator to convert the Celsius temperature to Fahrenheit for each of the ecosystem’s water temperatures for the week prior to and including your school’s Eco-Trekker visit. Use the following steps to convert the temperature:
   1. Divide the Celsius temperature by 5.
   2. Multiply the quotient by 9.
   3. Add 32 to the product.
   4. Fill in the converted temperatures in the appropriate column.
      
2. Observe the chart for water temperature. Which ecosystem has the greatest range for water temperature?
   
3. Observe the chart for water temperature. Identify the range for the water temperature at each of the ecosystems for the month prior to and including your school’s Eco-Trekker visit.
   
4. Observe the chart for water temperature. Identify the mean for each of the ecosystem’s water temperatures. Which is greatest and which is least?
   
5. Observe the chart for water temperature. Use a calculator to identify the mean water temperature of each of ecosystem’s salinities for the week prior to and including your school’s Eco-Trekker visit.
   
6. Observe the chart for water temperature. Identify the median for each of the ecosystem’s water temperatures. Which is greatest and which is least?
   
7. Observe the chart for water temperature. Including your school’s visit, use a calculator to identify the water temperature median of each ecosystem for the week prior to your school’s Eco-Trekker visit.
   
8. Observe the chart for water temperature. Identify the mode for each of the ecosystem’s water temperatures. Which is greatest and which is least?
   
9. Observe the chart for water temperature. Identify the mode at each of the ecosystems for the week prior to and including your school’s Eco-Trekker visit.
   
10. Observe one of the line graphs for water temperature. Identify the title of the graph (i.e.- “Water Temperature Line Graph: Shoreline”)
    
11. Observe one of the line graphs for water temperature. Identify the title of the x-axis (i.e.- “Date”)
    
12. Observe one of the line graphs for water temperature. Identify the title of the y-axis (i.e.- “Temperature (Celsius)”)
    
13. Observe the line graphs for water temperature. Including your school’s visit, identify the range for each of the ecosystem’s water temperature line graphs.
    
14. Which ecosystem’s water temperature line graph has the greatest range? Is it the same as the results from the chart showing water temperature? (yes)
    
15. Was it easier to find the range on the line graph or the chart? (Answers could vary although it is most likely that the line graph was easier to find the range as it is visually easier to identify the high and low points on the graph.)
    
16. Identify any outliers on the line graphs.
    
17. Observe the line graphs for water temperature. Including your school’s visit, identify any trends for each of the ecosystem’s water temperature line graphs. (Trends may or may not be visible.) You may ask students to identify if there are any trends seasonally. (Trends should be visible seasonally.)

Air Temperature:

1. Observe the chart for air temperature. Use a calculator to convert the Celsius temperature to Fahrenheit for each of the ecosystem’s air temperatures for the week prior to and including your school’s Eco-Trekker visit. Use the following steps to convert the temperature:
   1. Divide the Celsius temperature by 5.
   2. Multiply the quotient by 9.
   3. Add 32 to the product.
   4. Fill in the converted temperatures in the appropriate column.
      
2. Observe the chart for air temperature. Identify the range for the air temperature at each of the ecosystems for the month prior to and including your school’s Eco-Trekker visit.
   
3. Which ecosystem has the greatest range for air temperature?
   
4. Observe the chart for air temperature. Identify the mean for each of the ecosystem’s air temperatures. Which is greatest and which is least?
   
5. Observe the chart for air temperature. Use a calculator to identify the mean air temperature of each of ecosystem’s for the week prior to and including your school’s Eco-Trekker visit.
   
6. Observe the chart for air temperature. Identify the median for each of the ecosystem’s air temperatures. Which is greatest and which is least?
   
7. Observe the chart for air temperature. Including your school’s visit, use a calculator to identify the air temperature median of each ecosystem for the week prior to your school’s Eco-Trekker visit.
   
8. Observe the chart for air temperature. Identify the mode for each of the ecosystem’s air temperatures. Which is greatest and which is least?
   
9. Observe the chart for air temperature. Identify the air temperature mode at each of the ecosystems for the week prior to and including your school’s Eco-Trekker visit.
   
10. Observe one of the line graphs for air temperature. Identify the title of the graph (i.e.- “Water Temperature Line Graph: Shoreline”)
    
11. Observe one of the line graphs for air temperature. Identify the title of the x-axis (i.e.- “Date”)
    
12. Observe one of the line graphs for air temperature. Identify the title of the y-axis (i.e.- “Temperature (Celsius)”)
    
13. Observe the line graphs for air temperature. Including your school’s visit, identify the range for each of the ecosystem’s air temperature line graphs.
    
14. Which ecosystem’s air temperature line graph has the greatest range? Is it the same as the results from the chart showing air temperature? (yes)
    
15. Was it easier to find the range on the line graph or the chart? (Answers could vary although it is most likely that the line graph was easier to find the range as it is visually easier to identify the high and low points on the graph.)
    
16. Identify any outliers on the line graphs.
    
17. Observe the line graphs for air temperature. Including your school’s visit, identify any trends for each of the ecosystem’s air temperature line graphs. (Trends may or may not be visible.) You may ask students to identify if there are any trends seasonally. (Trends should be visible seasonally.