FOOTBALL

A WebQuest for7tth Grade (MATH)

Introduction

It looks as if football is the thing. Your principal has decided to let your class create a FOOTBALL NEWSLETTER. You were hired to write an article for this edition. However, it is going to require some research. Your principal wants you to gather data on Ballinger, Jim Ned, and of course, the BLIZZARDS varsity football teams. He wants to know whom they played and the score of their last 5 games. He then wants you to display the data in some sort of graph. You have to decide which type of graph would be best for displaying this data. You must also write an article about the information. You will be in charge of the sports page.

Task

During this quest you will learn how to gather data, organize and create an appropriate graph to display data. You will be an excellent editor.

Research and gather data on football games and scores.
Organize data
Create and appropriate graph or graphs to appropriately display data;
Write a newspaper article explaining the data and graph/graphs;
Create a sports page for newsletter using information;

You will need to use spreadsheet and Microsoft word (newsletter template).

Process

You will need to find the scores of the last 5 games of the given towns.
Put data into the spreadsheet.
Make an appropriate graph comparing and displaying the given data.
Write a newspaper article about the researched information.
Make a newsletter page with the graph/graphs and article.

Answer the following questions upon completion of the quest.

1. Make a scatter plot for each town’s football scores from the last 5 games.

2. Do any of the scatter plots have a trend line? If so, which one?

3. If you have a trend line, predict what they will score in the next game.

4. Explain how you arrived at this prediction.

5. If your scatter plot has a trend line, identify the trend (negative or positive) and analyze the data (are they both increasing, decreasing, or is one decreasing and one increasing.)

HELPFUL SITES:

Spreadsheets in Math Class
http://www.math.byu.edu/~lfrancis/readings302/Spreadsheets.html#Whatis
This site will help you in using the spreadsheet.

Ballinger Bearcat Football Schedule
http://www.netxv.net/isd/ballingerisd/footb02.htm
This site is the Ballinger football schedule.

Go Friday Night.com
http://www.reporternews.com/2000/sports/gofriday/q201021.html
This site will allow you to look up scores.

How to Make a Bar Graph
http://mathforum.org/alejandre/frisbie/bar.graph.html
This site gives information on how to make a bar graph from the spreadsheet.

Change Fonts and Colors in a Pie Chart
http://mathforum.org/alejandre/frisbie/pie.graph.html#change.pie.graph
This site will help you make a pie chart.

Evaluation

	Exemplary 4	Accomplished 3	Developing 2	Beginning 1	Score
Layout	The newspaper has no spelling and grammar errors. Design of the newspaper is exemplary.	The newspaper has little or no spelling and grammar errors. Design of the newspaper is good.	The newspaper has several spelling and grammar errors. Design of the newspaper needs some improvement.	The newspaper has numerous spelling and grammar errors. Design of the newspaper is very poorly laid out.
Article	Article is completely non-biased and factual using word processing software.	Article is mostly non-biased and factual using word processing software.	Article is somewhat non-biased and factual using word processing software.	Article is biased or plagiarized.
Graph	The graphs include titles, axis labels and legend if needed. Data is correct	The graphs have some of the following: titles, axis labels, legend. Data is mostly correct.	The graphs are missing some of the following: titles, axis labels, legend. Some data is incorrect.	No graph
Graphics	Graphics are the right size and the graphics are appropriate	Graphics size is proportioned, and the graphics are relatively appropriate	Graphics are included, size is too large/small, and the graphics are not appropriate	Graphics are not used.

Conclusion

Congratulations!! You have successfully made a sports page for the new newsletter. The principal is amazed at your research abilities. He very pleased with you graphs you created by using the spreadsheet. He thinks your graphics are out of this world. He was overheard saying you had the job of sports editor on the Junior Newsletter.

Credits & References

NFL3 Football Clip Art http://www.xfl-xfl-xfl.com/images/set-11-titles/index.html
Thanks for the football graphics.

Football Graphics http://members.tripod.com/~Momp54/sports/football-2.html
Thanks for the great football graphics and background.

"We all benefit by being generous with our work. Permission is hereby granted for other educators to copy this WebQuest, update or otherwise modify it, and post it elsewhere provided that the original author's name is retained along with a link back to the original URL of this WebQuest. On the line after the original author's name, you may add Modified by (your name) on (date). If you do modify it, please let me know and provide the new URL."

Last updated on (October 8, 2002). Based on a template from The WebQuest Page