CSERD Interactivate: Plop It! Grapher

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Detail Page

edited by Robert Panoff
published by the Shodor Foundation
supported by the National Science Foundation

This unique simulation for grades 6-9 provides hands-on practice in exploring mean, mode, and median. It features an interactive Java graphing applet that allows users to add/remove boxes from an axis with a given range. Click above the x axis to "plop" blocks into the desired columns, then watch as the applet displays pointers indicating mode, mean, and median. Students can also increase/decrease the range of values or input data in a statistical panel to practice constructing computer-generated graphs.

This resource is part of CSERD (Computational Science Education Reference Desk), a portal of the National Science Digital Library. The Interactivate collection contains more than 200 standards-based activities, many of which have been classroom tested.

Please note that this resource requires Java Applet Plug-in.

http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/PlopIt/

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Education Practices - Active Learning - Technology = Computers Mathematical Tools - Probability Other Sciences - Mathematics	- Middle School - High School - Elementary School - Informal Education	- Instructional Material = Activity = Interactive Simulation

Appropriate Courses	Categories	Ratings
- Physical Science - Physics First - Conceptual Physics	- Activity - New teachers	Currently 0.0/5 Want to rate this material? Login here!

Intended Users:: Learner
Educator
General Public
Formats:: application/java
text/html
Access Rights:: Free access
Restriction:: © 2009 Shodor Education Foundation
Keywords:: bar graph simulation, data analysis, graph, graph simulation, graph simulator, graphing tool
Record Cloner:: Metadata instance created March 1, 2011 by Caroline Hall
Record Updated:: March 1, 2011 by Caroline Hall

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AAAS Benchmark Alignments (2008 Version)

9. The Mathematical World

9B. Symbolic Relationships

6-8: 9B/M3. Graphs can show a variety of possible relationships between two variables. As one variable increases uniformly, the other may do one of the following: increase or decrease steadily, increase or decrease faster and faster, get closer and closer to some limiting value, reach some intermediate maximum or minimum, alternately increase and decrease, increase or decrease in steps, or do something different from any of these.
9-12: 9B/H4. Tables, graphs, and symbols are alternative ways of representing data and relationships that can be translated from one to another.

11. Common Themes

11B. Models

6-8: 11B/M2. Mathematical models can be displayed on a computer and then modified to see what happens.

12. Habits of Mind

12B. Computation and Estimation

3-5: 12B/E9. Use appropriate units when describing quantities.
6-8: 12B/M4. Find the mean, median, and mode of a set of data.
6-8: 12B/M6. Insert instructions into computer spreadsheet cells to program arithmetic calculations.

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Record Link

<a href="https://www.compadre.org/precollege/items/detail.cfm?ID=10777">Panoff, Robert, ed. CSERD Interactivate: Plop It! Grapher. Durham: Shodor Foundation, 2009.</a>

AIP Format

, edited by R. Panoff (Shodor Foundation, Durham, 2009), WWW Document, (http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/PlopIt/).

AJP/PRST-PER

CSERD Interactivate: Plop It! Grapher, edited by R. Panoff (Shodor Foundation, Durham, 2009), <http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/PlopIt/>.

APA Format

Panoff, R. (Ed.). (2009). CSERD Interactivate: Plop It! Grapher. Retrieved March 25, 2025, from Shodor Foundation: http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/PlopIt/

Chicago Format

Panoff, Robert, ed. CSERD Interactivate: Plop It! Grapher. Durham: Shodor Foundation, 2009. http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/PlopIt/ (accessed 25 March 2025).

MLA Format

Panoff, Robert, ed. CSERD Interactivate: Plop It! Grapher. Durham: Shodor Foundation, 2009. National Science Foundation. 25 Mar. 2025 <http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/PlopIt/>.

BibTeX Export Format

@misc{ Title = {CSERD Interactivate: Plop It! Grapher}, Publisher = {Shodor Foundation}, Volume = {2025}, Number = {25 March 2025}, Year = {2009} }

Refer Export Format

%A Robert Panoff, (ed) %T CSERD Interactivate: Plop It! Grapher %D 2009 %I Shodor Foundation %C Durham %U http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/PlopIt/ %O application/java

EndNote Export Format

%0 Electronic Source %D 2009 %T CSERD Interactivate: Plop It! Grapher %E Panoff, Robert %I Shodor Foundation %V 2025 %N 25 March 2025 %9 application/java %U http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/PlopIt/

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Citation Source Information

The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual.

The APA Style presented is based on information from APA Style.org: Electronic References.

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CSERD Interactivate: Plop It! Grapher:

Is By The Same Author and Covers a Similar Topic As CSERD Interactivate: Bar Graph Lesson

This Java-based simulation provides practice in constructing and reading bar graphs. Use the parameters provided in the applet or input your own data sets. Includes lesson plan and teaching tips.

relation by Caroline Hall

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