Whale Challenge - Data Saves the Whales

This resource, published by Georgia Tech Research Institute, features a mathematics activity designed for sixth graders. During this activity, students model plankton and temperature data in the Antarctic Ocean to "determine whether a research vessel will collide with whales." Students will learn to "construct coordinate graphs of the data to identify whether the data is linear or non-linear, discern whether a variable is independent or dependent in the relationship, and reason quantitatively about the data relationships." The activity is divided into four sections that span four class periods. The resource includes the following:

• A 6-page teacher's prep guide for the activity
• An 18-page curriculum workbook with an annotated teacher's version
• Materials list and prep guide
• Supply checklist
• A 16-page student worksheet packet
• Water temperature readings for the activity
• Three videos that provide context around Antarctic Ocean data collection