LESSON #7: Surveys and Samples

Focusing Question:
Designing a "Merchantable" Trail Mix: what are your favorite ingredients in a trail mix?

Vermont Standards addressed:

1.11c	Students support proposals as appropriate through definitions, description, illustrations, and examples from experience and anecdotes.
2.13	Students design a product, project, or service to meet an identified need.
3.10	Students perform effectively on teams that set and achieve goals, conduct investigations, solve problems, and create solutions (e.g., by using consensus building and cooperation to work toward group decisions.)
3.11	Students interact respectfully with others, including those with whom they have differences.

Length of Lesson:
Group Project
3 class periods (This project requires 3 class periods, but will span more than a week in time as students will need several days to collect the data from their surveys. It works nicely if students work on the graph of the history of the National Park Service at this time as each project requires out of class as well as in class group work.)

Resources/Materials:
Group project sheets: 10 (2 sheets), 10A (recipe template)

Procedure:

1.	Focus:
	Using worksheet #10, pose the question; what are your favorite ingredients in a trail mix? Have students share their likes and dislikes as a group.
2.	Opening the lesson:
	Inform students that as part of a community service project, they will be collecting important data as it relates to developing a recipe for a “merchantable” trail mix. This trail mix blend will reflect the species diversity found in Stand 39. There are 10 species currently recorded in the northern hardwood stand.
	Using worksheet “Lesson 10: Taking a Survey" provide instruction on representatives samples and surveys.
	The students will work together in groups of four to develop surveys. Before students begin to develop their surveys ask the following guiding questions:
		What types of people enjoy trail mix? What age groups enjoy trait mix? Where can surveys be taken or distributed in a fair and safe manner so that the data reflects a true sampling? How should the survey be written? Should it be able to stand on its own so that it can be distributed and collected without the surveyor being present?
	Establish fair criteria for the surveying process, such as appropriate deadlines for collecting data, how many surveys each group should complete, and what minimum number of choices for trail mix. Ingredients must be included in the survey. It is important at this point to troubleshoot any special circumstances which the students may encounter.
3.	Practice:
	Each student in the group should design and type a sample survey for homework. During the next class, the group members must choose one or a combination of the best surveys in their group. That evening the final survey must be typed and presented for xerox- ing the next day. Students should have several days to collect their data.
	When the surveys have been collected, students should complete frequency tables for the ingredient choices. Have students share their group tables with the class and construct one class frequency table on large grid paper.
	Student groups should then go on to: construct a graph representing their data, determine the percentage for each of their responses, and write a proposal for their group recipe. Set appropriate due date for typed and edited proposal, see criteria on worksheet #10.
4.	Follow-up:
	Using the class frequency table and the worksheet #10A, develop a class recipe for the trail mix based on the most frequently named ingredients. (Complete unit cost only if the information is readily available.)**

**Making the trail mix itself was one of the culminating activities for this unit of study. The activity is described in the Outline of Lessons.

Assessment:

	Students will:
		be effective and thoughtful members of a small team.
		meet all due dates in a timely manner.
		successfully complete all criteria of the project including a table, graph, and written proposal.
		will design a "merchantable" trail mix recipe.
	Teacher will:
		encourage teamwork within the groups.
		establish fair due dates and assist students with process issues throughout the project.
		create a class frequency table of data.
		assess project using grading guide and rubrics.
		administer Unit Test (answer key)

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