DataStreams unit trailer

PPSTT…the secret to reading graphs like a scientist #dataliteracy 📈

How To Read a Graph Like a Scientist

'Data Streams' |Science| G9-12 (en-US)

Anna Wilkins


Molly Russell

MS Student

Parker Binns

Mary Marek-Spartz

Information Manager

Acknowledgments

#### Connection to Research
 This unit is sponsored by [Dr. Tom Luhring's Aquatic Ecology Lab at Wichita State University](https://storage.googleapis.com/gp-cloud/lessons/DataStreams_en-US/[https://www.tomluhring.com/). The first two lessons  foster student data literacy while introducing students to the broader themes of the research presented in Lesson 3. In Lesson 1, students will learn the PPSTT framework, which teaches students how to analyze graphs and figures. In Lesson 2, students will use real data sets from [Long Term Ecological Research Sites (LTERs)](https://lternet.edu/) and analyze graphs on stream flow. In Lesson 3, students will apply the approaches they learned in Lesson 1 and 2 to Dr. Luhring's work on Kansas streams. 
#### Research Background
 Dr. Tom Luhring's lab primarily investigates the legacy of droughts for aquatic systems. His students look at how key players in aquatic systems (microscopic life, fish, amphibians) respond to the return of water following droughts and ultimately determine how ecosystems recover. Dr. Luhring's lab combines lab experiments, field experiments and long-term field-based studies to approach ecological questions.
#### Further Reading:
##### Popular Press
- [*Slate* | The Language Time Machine: Google’s Ngram Viewer gave us a new way to explore history, but has it led to any real discoveries?](https://slate.com/technology/2013/09/google-ngram-viewer-a-language-time-machine.html)
- [*Yale Insights* | The Digital Tool That Helps Robert Shiller Understand the Past](https://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/the-digital-tool-that-helps-robert-shiller-understand-the-past)
-[*Sci Tech Daily* | Shocking Research: Over Half of the World’s Rivers Cease to Flow for at Least One Day a Year](https://scitechdaily.com/shocking-research-over-half-of-the-worlds-rivers-cease-to-flow-for-at-least-one-day-a-year/)
##### Scientific Papers
- [Aquatic Systems of the Wichita State University Biological Field Station: Youngmeyer Ranch, Elk County, Kansas](https://bioone.org/journals/transactions-of-the-kansas-academy-of-science/volume-125/issue-3-4/062.125.0301/Aquatic-Systems-of-the-Wichita-State-University-Biological-Field-Station/10.1660/062.125.0301.short)
- [No free refills: Prior drying and vertebrate colonisation alter ecological functioning and vertebrate fitness within experimental aquatic systems](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/fwb.14157&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1741083096503570&usg=AOvVaw3qlhJ0hbbGyEnJ0ryeuemg)
- [Droughts Reduce Growth Rates and Increase Vulnerability to Increasingly Frequent and Severe Drying Events in an Aquatic Ectotherm](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://meridian.allenpress.com/journal-of-herpetology/article/56/4/521/489373/Droughts-Reduce-Growth-Rates-and-Increase&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1741083096503617&usg=AOvVaw0_IezBIG4a3uHmh8c601TN)

Background

#### PPSTT Cheat Sheet Handout
![an image of the PPSTT handout](https://storage.googleapis.com/gp-cloud/lessons/DataStreams_en-US/Cheat-Sheet-Pic.png)
Use this graphic organizer to help guide students with analysis of *any* graph, figure, or data visual.  
- [Download as PDF](https://storage.googleapis.com/gp-cloud/lessons/DataStreams_en-US/PPSTT-Cheat-Sheet.pdf)
- [Make a copy in Google Drive](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NNjLEBlyc2X2ReJqYzYGka8mYvn3ucT-4zXVYox1aAg/template/preview)


Bonus Content

**[Matt Wilkins](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwilkinsphd/)** | Oversaw development of all materials; scripted, storyboarded, and directed videos  
**[Beth Robelia](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brobelia/)** | Created initial draft learning materials and produced videos  
**[Stephanie Castillo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/castils/)** | Edited, narrated, featured in, and scored supporting videos  
**Laura Perry** | Added feedback and significant revisions to all learning materials  
**[Shania Burkhead](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shania-burkhead/)** | Provided feedback and guidance throughout the unit  
**Ethan Oltean** | Provided feedback and guidance throughout the unit  
**[Tom Luhring](https://www.tomluhring.com/people.html)** | Defined outreach goals; provided feedback throughout development; provided scientific validation of lesson content; featured in videos  

Credits

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Feedback

JobViz Career Connections

A crash course in data literacy using stream ecology

Science

#### Hook(s):
- Playing around with [Google Ngram Viewer](https://books.google.com/ngrams/): a free online database for exploring the frequency of words in millions of books over time.
- Solving a mystery with multiple streams of data.

Data Streams

The Gist

Hook(s):

At a glance

Supporting Multimedia

DataStreams unit trailer

PPSTT…the secret to reading graphs like a scientist #dataliteracy 📈

How To Read a Graph Like a Scientist