Schottenbauer Publishing

Monday, February 9, 2015

Integrating Graphs into Traditional Classes

Teachers who want to include graphs into a traditional science, math, literature (science writing), music, health, and/or physical education lessons can find ample resources in lab manuals published by Schottenbauer PublishingOver 100 different collections of graphs and anthologies are available, with most translated into both English and German. 




Science lab manuals by Schottenbauer Publishing fall into the following general categories:
  • Sports
  • Transportation
  • Construction
  • Environment
  • Music
  • Entertainment/Toys
  • General Physics

Also available are a set of anthologies, each consisting of 28 graphs selected from the above categories. Each anthology is focused on a specific theme, and contains a variety of types of graphs.

In order to highlight the selections of graphs available, four lab series are described in more detail below: ball sports, hockey, figure skating, and athletic training. These series provide excellent examples of sport science data which can be integrated easily into traditional classes:

  • Over 30 Sport Balls Included
  • Multiple Forms of Motion (x, y, time)
    • Bouncing
    • Rolling
    • Projectile Motion
  • Various Surfaces
    • Wood
    • Linoleum
    • Carpet
    • Concrete
    • Foam
    • Force Plate
  • Air Pressure Comparison for Inflatable Balls
    • Basketball
    • Soccer Ball
    • Volleyball
  • Comparison Balls
    • Golf Balls
      • Official
      • Foam
      • Plastic
    • Baseballs
      • Official
      • Safety
      • Plastic
    • Street Hockey
      • High Density
      • Low Density

  • Motion (x, y, time)
  • Multiple Objects for Comparison
    • Field Hockey Ball
    • Street Hockey Balls
      • High Density
      • Low Density
    • Ice Hockey Pucks
      • Official
      • Green Biscuit
    • Air Hockey Pucks
      • With Air
      • Without Air
  • Multiple Surfaces
    • Carpet
    • Wood
    • Ice
    • Synthetic Ice
    • Air Table
  • Impact Forces
    • Instantaneous Force (Collision)
    • Continuous Force (Pushing)
  • Collisions
    • Wood Wall
    • Hockey Stick

  • Position, Velocity, Acceleration, & Force Data
  • Multiple Surfaces
    • Ice
    • Synthetic Ice
    • Wet
    • Dry
  • Multiple Skates
    • Bob Skates
    • Child Double-Runner Skates
    • Hockey Skates
      • Youth
      • Adult
    • Figure Skates
      • 2 Sizes
      • 2 Types of Blades
  • Blade Preparation
    • Sharpened
    • Unsharpened
  • Weights in Skates
    • None
    • 2.5 pounds
  • Hockey Puck Motion
  • Forces of Vertical Motions
    • Stepping
    • Jumping
  • Forces of Skate Support for Ankles
  • Ice Melting

  • Multiple Common Sport Actions Analyzed
    • Walking
    • Jogging
    • Running
    • Jumping
    • Push-Ups
    • Sit-Ups
    • Jumping Jacks
    • Jumping Rope
  • Volume 1: Force & Acceleration
  • Volume 2: Biophysics
    • Joint Angles (Range of Motion)
    • Electrical Signals of Heart (EKG) & Muscles (EMG)
    • Breathing Patterns & Lung Capacity (Spirometer)
    • Blood Pressure & Heart Rate (Pulse)
  • Volume 3: Motion (x, y, time)

These graphs can be used as part of virtually unlimited lesson plans, including:

Possible Lesson Plans
  • Graph Reading 
    • Identifying Minimum & Maximum
    • Determining Graph Shape
    • Redrawing the Graph on a Different Scale
  • Mathematical Modeling 
    • Writing the Graph's Equation
    • Transforming the Graph's Equation
  • Theoretical Analysis
    • Describing the Scientific & Mathematical Concepts Related to Graph(s) 
    • Describing the Scientific & Mathematical Theories Related to Graph(s)
    • Identifying the Theoretically Ideal Graph & Comparing to Individual Graph(s)
    • Understanding Measurement Error & Other Types of Error
    • Comparison & Contrast of Specific Graphs
  • Science Writing
    • Describing a Graph in Words
    • Written Comparison & Contrast of Graphs
    • Describing Scientific Concepts & Theories Relevant to Graphs
    • Developing Theories Based on Graphs
    • Re-writing Graph Titles in Scientific Format
    • Practicing Different Styles of Writing about Graphs (e.g., Journalistic, Scientific, Practical/Colloquial)
  • Exploratory Research
    • Data-Mining 
    • Developing Theories Based on Graphs
    • Open-Ended Questions (e.g., Look at this book of graphs and write about a topic of interest.)
  • Estimation Skills
    • Understanding Range & Order of Magnitude
    • Developing Theoretical Comparisons from Commonly Available Data (e.g., Here is a graph of someone throwing a shot put. What would a graph look like if it were thrown by a child? By an Olympian in 1950? By an Olympian today?)

A full listing of graph topics, indexed by book series and data type, are available in a Teacher Resource Guide from the publisher. Additional information is also available at ScienceandMathEducation.Blogspot.com and SportScienceEducation.Blogspot.com.

Books from Schottenbauer Publishing are available from Amazon & Worldwide Affiliates, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, CreateSpace (Wholesale & Retail), Powell's Books, and other internet retailers.