Using Excel in the Science
Classroom
Presented by: Mark Falcon
March 4, 2015
EDTC 633- Tools Data – Spring 2015
General Lesson Information
 College Prep level, 10th grade Chemistry class ~26
students
 Completed in a lab setting, each student with a lab
partner
 Standard lab equipment is necessary, along with 40
pennies per lab group
 Timeline: 2-3 class periods (1.5 hrs-2.25 hrs)
General Lesson Information (cont.)
 Finished product is a complete lab report
 Lab sheet/activities attached at end of presentation
 Lab report format and rubric attached at end of
presentation
Lesson Objectives and NJCCCs
 Distinguish between accuracy and precision
 Calculate error using percent error formula
 Identify sources of experimental error
 Set up, interpret, and graph data
 Calculate density of objects
 Relate density to the identification of substances.
 NJCCCs: 5.1.12.A.1 ; 5.1.12.A.2 ; 5.1.12.A.3 ;
5.1.12.B.1 ; 5.1.12.B.2 ; 5.1.12.B.3 ; 5.1.12.B.4 ;
5.1.12.C.1 ; 5.1.12.C.2 ; 5.1.12.C.3 ; 5.1.12.D.1 ;
5.1.12.D.2 ; 5.1.12.D.3 ; 8.1.12.A.1 ; 9.1.8.F.6 ;
9.1.12.A.1 ; 9.1.12.B.1 ; RST.10.1 ; RST.10.2 ; RST.10.3 ;
RST.10.4
Spreadsheet Example – Fill
Series/Margins Properly Adjusted
to fit data
Fill Series Function
used to enter
number of pennies
Spreadsheet Example –
Formula/Cell References
Formula AND cell
references
used to
calculate penny
volume
Spreadsheet Example – Cell
references across different sheets
Sheet reference to other sheet used in
Formula calculation
Spreadsheet Example – Graph
Creation
Highlighted x,y values for Chart
Spreadsheet Example – Graph
Analysis
Line of best fit created to calculate slope = density from trendline
Brainy Bits
 The “Concrete Random1” Learning style
 Procedure done at student’s own pace
 Ordering and procedure are not rigid.
 Logical-Mathematical Intelligence2
 Calculations and numbers are a major part of this
experiment (working with quantitative data).
1"GREGORC
ASSOCIATES INC." Gregorc Associates, Mind Styles & Gregorc Style
Delineator. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2015.
2Gardner, Howard. Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21 st
Century. New York, NY: Basic, 1999. Print.
Analysis
 Students will calculate density from the graph by
calculating the slope of a line plotting mass vs. volume.
 This will show students a way to graphically calculate
average density for a multiple sized sample.
 Students will be evaluated on their data and graphical
analysis.
 All information will be included in a lab report (rubric
on next slide).
Density of Pennies Lab
Lab write up obtained fromhttp://www.pascack.k12.nj.us/cms/lib5/NJ01000238/Centricity/Domain
/213/13%20Penny%20Density%20Lab.docx
Density of Pennies Lab (Page 2)
Lab Report Rubric