This is a webquest which is desiqned to help students learn how to calculate the mean and find the median of a set of data and how to use this data in a real world application.

1. Welcome to Ms.
Ambrose’s Science Place!
On this site you will find important information about our class. Please investigate the different links.
6th Grade Science Students—Look under “Assignments” for a
new web quest assignment.
Watch the Mean and Median Video first.
The Teacher Page describes the standard used for the Web
ques.
Web links School Site Mean and
Assignments Parents Teache
Median video
r Page
E-mail

2. Watch these videos to find out how to calculate the Mean
and Median.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u38VBS_Miw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpZIIW8uqDc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgxZfQDf4qY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNdVynH6hcY
Your objective is to find mathematical data on the population of a species over time, and
use this data to calculate the mean and median population over the past twenty years.
Your data should show five numbers: Year 5, Year 10, Year, 15, Year 20, Year 25
What is the mean population for these 25 years? What is the current population? Find the
median. Is it close to the mean? Why or why not? It’s ok to guess.
Back to Assignments

3. Assignments
6th Grade Web Quest
Introduction Task Evaluation
process
Conclusion Teacher References
Web Sites
Page
Back to Home Page

4. Teacher Page
This Web Quest is designed to help sixth grade students meet Indiana Academic Standard 6.2.1.
Standard 6.2.1 Find the mean and median of a set of data.
In this Web Quest, five teams of students will gather information about the populations
of the Black Footed Ferret, the Monarch Butterfly, Grevey’s Zebra, Big Horn Sheep, and the
Diamondback Terrapin. They will plot the location of colonies of their animals on a map. After
finding the different populations, they will calculate the mean and median number of their animals
that exist in the world. They will investigate how the populations have declined over the past
twenty-five years using the mean and median for each of the past twenty-five years in five year
increments. They will find three reasons for this decline and propose possible solutions to alleviate
the decline. Finally, the students will create a presentation showing the information they have
found, the decline in population, the reason for this decline, and proposed ideas for how we can
help these populations.
Back to Assignment Page

5. Introduction
Welcome Students! In this web quest, You will learn how to use the mean (average)
and median (middle number in a set of data) to discuss the rate of decline in an animal
population. Each group will investigate a different population.
Team One will investigate Team Two will investigate
the Black Footed Ferret the Monarch Butterfly
Team Three will investigate Team Four will investigate
Grevy’s Zebra. Big Horn Sheep.
Team Five will Investigate the Diamondback Terrapin
To Task Page

6. Task
Your task is to find information about the population of your species. Your goal is to learn how to use the mean
(average) and median (middle number in a series of data) to predict the future of the animal population that you are
investigating. After finding out the average number of animals in the population, the types of food they eat, and their
impact on the environment, you will propose measures to help stop the decline of the population. Finally, you will publish
your findings in an artifact that your group creates. Your artifact can be a poster, power point presentation, video, etc.
Your group will need several workers. Choose your job from the list and click on it.
There should be one person from each category in each group.
Habitat specialist Conservation Mathematician
Officer
Layout/Graphics Cartographer (map
Designer maker)

7. Mathematician (everyone must be able to find the mean and
median)
Your job is to find and organize the numerical data. You will
help the other team members understand the mean and
median. Make sure you watch the teacher tube videos about
finding the mean and median. You can use timelines and charts
to show your data.
Next

8. Habitat Specialist:
Your job is to find out where the
species lives and eats. What
things in the habitat are affecting
the species? How?
next

9. Conservation Officer:
Your research will help you find
information on the population’s
decline, what is being done now to
help, and what can be done in the future
Next

10. Lay Out/Graphics Designer:
Your job is to create a visually appealing
presentation. Everyone in the group can work
on this part if needed. You will need to decide
what type of presentation you want to give
(video, poster, power point, blog, etc) and build
the layout for that presentation.
Next

11. Cartographer:
Your job is to create the maps that show the
population’s decline over time. You will need
to chart the population using different colors
or symbols to help the viewer understand the
data. You can use maps printed from the
internet.
Next

12. Find information
Process
•Where is your animal found in the world?
•What does it eat?
•How many exist today in the wild? You will have to look at different populations and find the mean
and median.
1.How many existed 25 years ago?
2.How many existed 20 years ago?
3.How many existed 15 years ago?
4.How many existed 10 years ago?
5.How many existed 5 years ago?
•What is already being done to help increase the population?
•What does it do for the environment?
•What might happen if this species is lost forever?
•How can we help this population to continue to thrive?
•Why is this species declining?
•When is it predicted that this species will be extinct if nothing is done?
Compile the information that you have found, using a web or chart.
Generate some ideas of what we can do to help this species.
Create your presentation.
Web quests are due on November 30, 2009 websites

13. Web Sites
Every team should use these sites: Team 1 Team 2
To find the mean (average) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EmI http://www.trillian.com/animals/butterfy.ht
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgxZfQDf4qY m
To find the median (middle number in a set of
qYj-sYM
http://www.blackfootedferret.org/ http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects
numbers)
/butterfly/species/Monarch.shtml
http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/ http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/blackfooted_f
wildlife/black-footed_ferret.php
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects
erret.shtml
/butterfly/species/Monarch.shtml
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/NorthA http://www.monarchwatch.org/
maps http://www.printablemaps.net/
merica/default.cfm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AUeM8
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subj MbaIk
ects/mammals/weasel/Bfferretprintout.s
html
Team 3 Team 4 Team 5
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gr%C3%A9v http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bighorn_Sheep http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamondback_t
y's_Zebra http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/anim errapin
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/si als/mammals/rocky-mountain-bighorn- http://www.aqua.org/animals_diamondbackt
sheep.html errapin.html
te/accounts/information/Equus_grevyi.ht
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/SPARC/PDFs/D
ml
/mammals/sheep/Bighornsheep.shtml iamondbackTerrapin.pdf
http://www.ypte.org.uk/animal/zebra- http://www.teachertube.com/viewVihttp://w http://www.dtwg.org/Bibliography/Gray/Bre
grevy-s-/199 ww.idahoconservation.org/issues/wildlife/big nnessel%202007.pdf
http://www.awf.org/section/wildlife/zebr horn-sheep http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/kiosk/diamondba
as deo.php?video_id=34527&title=Mountain_Sh ckterrapin.html
http://www.konicaminolta.com/kids/ani eep_of_Lillooet
mals/library/field/grevys-zebra.html
Back to Assignment
Page

14. Conclusion
In your investigations, you have learned how to find the mean and
median of a set of data. Hopefully, you have discovered some new
information about the species that your team investigated. The
endangerment of our animals and natural resources is a serious problem.
It is not one that is not easily solved, nor can it be solved by only a few
people. In finding the mean and median numbers of population over time,
one is able to mathematically describe declines or increases in population.
This type of math gives the viewer a better idea of how quickly a
population is going extinct.
What will you do to help our endangered species?
Assignment
Page

15. Evaluation
Use this rubric to gage your project.
5 points 3 points 1 point 0 points
Oral Presentation Spoke in a strong loud Voice was too low, facts Could not hear Did not present
voice, presented were not important, presentation, few facts
important facts, each some team members did present, only one person
team member spoke not participate from team presented
Design of project Project is very interesting Some graphics present, No graphics present, No project
with many graphics, information is very loose, information not present,
good information, neat, inadequate research, messy and unorganized.
and shows that research messy
was adequately
performed
Group cooperation All members performed Some members worked Members did not work No group work is evident
tasks, together, some members together, arguing was
Members worked well did not work together present, members could
together, all members well, members could not describe research
can describe their own vaguely describe findings.
research research findings
Math Facts Students present correct Students present some Students present No mean or median is
numerical data showing numerical data, such as incorrect method of presented
the mean and median of only the mean or median finding the mean and/or
populations over time. median,

16. References
This is a list of references that I used to build this web quest.
"TeacherTube - Teach the World | Teacher Videos | Lesson Plan Videos | Student Video Lessons | Online
Teacher Made Videos | TeacherTube.com." TeacherTube - Teach the World | Teacher Videos | Lesson Plan
Videos | Student Video Lessons | Online Teacher Made Videos | TeacherTube.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
<http://teachertube.com/>.
WETA, the Public Broadcasting station in Washington, and this website gathers. "Internet Sites for Grade 5 -
6." Area III Learning Technology Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. <http://lth3.k12.il.us/RHAMPTON/5-
6.html>.
"WebQuest.Org: Home." WebQuest.Org: Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. <http://webquest.org/index.php>.
"Weebly - Create a free website and a free blog." Weebly - Create a free website and a free blog. N.p., n.d.
Web. 2 Nov. 2009. <http://education.weebly.com/weebly/main.php>.
information, researching the, and what conclusions have they come up. "Creating a Web quest." Educational
and Administrative Technology Services. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2009.
<http://www.eats.ecsd.net/curricular/webquest/create_webquest/>.