They discuss how the temperature changes over time and why. Initially the temperature will increase rapidly, but as the water warms up, its temperature will increase more slowlyuntil it essentially reaches room temperature. Students are given several examples of bar graphs with straight lines connecting the tops of the bars. They are asked to describe a motion scenario which reflects the data. For example, they might indicate that a graph reflects their running to an after-school activity, staying there for an hour, and then slowly walking home to do their chores.
Students keep a monthly record of their height and record the data collected on a bulletin board.
At the end of the school year, they describe what happened over time. They also find each month the average height of all the students in the class, and discuss how the change in average height over the year is similar to, and how it is different from, the change in height over the year of the individual students in the class. Students plant some seeds in vermiculite and some in soil. They observe the plants as they grow, measuring their height each week and recording their data in tables. They examine not only how the height of each plant changes as time passes but also whether the seeds in vermiculite or soil grow faster.