In the M&M's Food for Thought project conducted by Ron Huckins, students were given one of the five different types of M&M's and asked to organize the data before them. Because the M&M's were all the same type, the logical choice for sorting the data was by color. Students then transfered the data into a bargraph 'worksheet' created by Huckins. By introducing students to the data outside of the lab, Huckins allowed them to focus on the data at hand and also aided them in the creation of a document (their bargraph) that they could literally transfer into the Excel spreadsheet once they were inside the lab. Once they were inside the lab Huckins had students transfer their bargraphs into the spreadsheet (following an explanation of cells, cell loation and labels). Once the information was transfered, Huckins introduced the students to the three formulas he had formatted within the document and the purpose of each. Once students created their own spreadsheet document which compared the make-up of their color of M&M's within their M&M type, to the colors of M&M's of students with different M&M types. Once their spreadsheets were created students were able to create conclusions utilizing the fact-fact-conclusion method- first a fact they found utilizing their immediate data, second a fact either in support or opposition to their data accessed through research, and then they developed a conclusion based on those facts.
This lesson could be easily adapted for the data elemen required of Senior English students for their Senior Project. Instead of using M&M's, the students' topics would act as the means to gather data, organize it, and analyze it. I would introduce this project shortly after students submited their annotated bibliography (at this point students will have a firm topic decision and some of the necessary research completed) and utilize the spreadsheet to organize their survey results. I will utilize an example Senior Project topic and survey to illustrate the type of information students should gather (this phase of the project mirrors Huckins' approach in introducing the students to the data outside of the lab). Once students have gathered their data they will input it into a spreadsheet that will organize the various responses to their survey, students will then summarize the data utilizing formulas that will display the averages of the response types as well as the percentage of those responses. The spreadsheet will allow students the convenience of one organized document that portrays the results of their survey that can be easily translated into their analytical essay .
