One of the most exciting take-aways from my summer externship is that using the eMammal camera traps will allow my students to collect data that is meaningful for them.  In our math textbook, there are lessons on how to use data effectively and how different data measures are useful.  For example, one activity has students to compare the heights of a boys’ basketball team to the heights of a girls’ basketball team.  Well, knowing that boys are generally taller than girls, there is nothing really new for the students to discover and the lesson is really kind of flat.  I’ve found that this really doesn’t motivate students and that they don’t really internalize the learning to the level I would like.  I am hoping that our data collection with camera traps will make the data come alive.

First of all, students will be able to predict what animals they think they might see and in what abundance.  Once our data collection starts, students will be able to revise their predictions and even discuss moving the camera traps to better locations.  Because the students are able to have some input on the data collection process, the whole idea of data and how it can be used will be much more meaningful to students.  Ultimately, I want my students to think about different measures of center and variability and determine which are most useful to scientists using our data.  This is the crux of the 7th grade standard and one that is rarely reached using solely the lessons in our textbook.