HELP!! Does anyone know how to make a chart on computer?? SCIENE FAIR related

[TwingleMum]

YIKES I have to make a chart to put the data my son has been collecting for 5 days. I need to make two separate charts. We charted the growth of 2 plants for 5 days in different living conditions (Plant 1 and Plant 2) we measured height,width, # of flowers, # of leaves and comments we did this for 5 days.I took an excel course a million years ago but can't remember how to do it. Can anyone help.

I know in my head how the chart could look the 5 days down the chart and HEIGHT,WIDTH,# OF FLOWERS,# OF LEAVES, COMMENTS across the top. And to have a chart for each plant Labeled PLANT 1 and PLANT 2.

Could anyone help save my sanity???? A HUGE thanks

 

[tiggger1]

check out this site
http://www.good-science-fair-projects.com/winning-science-fair-projects.html

 

[golfgal]

Well, I would have my son look up on the internet how to do that since it is his science fair project and if he can't find out how to do it, I would have him do one by hand with graph paper.

He could also open excel and go to the help section there and that will help too.

Not to be snarky or anything but the reason behind doing these science fair projects is learning how to do all of this stuff and not so much doing the actual experiment itself. If mom does this for him, he doesn't learn how and it defeats the purpose of the project.

 

[pyrxtc]

Well, I would have my son look up on the internet how to do that since it is his science fair project and if he can't find out how to do it, I would have him do one by hand with graph paper.

He could also open excel and go to the help section there and that will help too.

Not to be snarky or anything but the reason behind doing these science fair projects is learning how to do all of this stuff and not so much doing the actual experiment itself. If mom does this for him, he doesn't learn how and it defeats the purpose of the project.

I agree with this. It is DS's project and he should be doing the work. If he can't make a computer chart then use some markers and poster board and get going.

 

[Alesia]

Is this your project or his?

Having someone else do your work for you is considered cheating. Besides, if you do it for him, how will he learn to do it himself?

 

[Danauk]

Could your son MS word to create a table? I would get him to do that. I'm not sure how old your son is but have they been taught how to create tables in their computer classes?

 

[agnes!]

check out this site
http://www.good-science-fair-projects.com/winning-science-fair-projects.html

Could your son MS word to create a table? I would get him to do that. I'm not sure how old your son is but have they been taught how to create tables in their computer classes?

These are both helpful ideas. Plus he can also make nice BIG charts with that suggested poster board and markers....a mostly hand-created display might have more visual oomph than a single sheet or two printed up on a computer. He can always use huge type-fonts to print up the words or single letters for signage too.

I must say, it is hard to resist the pull of the overdoing parents in our midst, the dads that build the stunning Pinewood Derby cars, the moms that just plain write student essays, but it can be done...I do it all the time. I would like to point out, though, that the parent was not saying she had done the scientific work of growing and of studying and of gathering the information on the plants (which is supposed to be the main emphasis of this activity), she was asking how to make a chart so the work her son had done would be displayed. I'm a more hard-core truth-teller than many I know, but to say or to imply that someone asking for *display* advice for a science fair project is outright cheating...you really think so?

Yes, much of the success in life is learning how to make our work and even ourselves appealing to others, but this is a "Science Fair" not a "Visual Display" or a "Merchandising Class" Fair.

YMMV,
agnes!

 

[TwinsinCA]

My kids are in 4th grade and this year was the first time they had to do a science project. They did their graphs in Excel. You just put in your data as a table, highlight it, and then click on the chart icon. Excel does the work for you. You just have to make sure the labels are correct, etc.

I disagree with the above posters about helping. My kids are 9. They had no clue how to make a computer chart. They needed to be taught. So we worked on making charts in Excel in the weeks leading up to the project using made up data so they knew how to make a table and how to make the chart. When the time came for the real thing, they could do it mostly on their own.

 

[golfgal]

My kids are in 4th grade and this year was the first time they had to do a science project. They did their graphs in Excel. You just put in your data as a table, highlight it, and then click on the chart icon. Excel does the work for you. You just have to make sure the labels are correct, etc.

I disagree with the above posters about helping. My kids are 9. They had no clue how to make a computer chart. They needed to be taught. So we worked on making charts in Excel in the weeks leading up to the project using made up data so they knew how to make a table and how to make the chart. When the time came for the real thing, they could do it mostly on their own.

Teaching the how to use the program is TOTALLY different then DOING it for the like the OP said she was. When our twins were in 4th grade they learned in school how to make the graphs so they could use them on their science fair projects. They knew more about it then I did. As for helping, you don't need to help 4th graders with a science fair project. The only help our kids got was driving them to the store to pick up their supplies and taking pictures of them doing their projects because our school had that as a requirement so they saw that the kids actually did something on their projects. They all got blue ribbons.

 

[LoraJ]

These are both helpful ideas. Plus he can also make nice BIG charts with that suggested poster board and markers....a mostly hand-created display might have more visual oomph than a single sheet or two printed up on a computer. He can always use huge type-fonts to print up the words or single letters for signage too.

I must say, it is hard to resist the pull of the overdoing parents in our midst, the dads that build the stunning Pinewood Derby cars, the moms that just plain write student essays, but it can be done...I do it all the time. I would like to point out, though, that the parent was not saying she had done the scientific work of growing and of studying and of gathering the information on the plants (which is supposed to be the main emphasis of this activity), she was asking how to make a chart so the work her son had done would be displayed. I'm a more hard-core truth-teller than many I know, but to say or to imply that someone asking for *display* advice for a science fair project is outright cheating...you really think so?

Yes, much of the success in life is learning how to make our work and even ourselves appealing to others, but this is a "Science Fair" not a "Visual Display" or a "Merchandising Class" Fair.

YMMV,
agnes!

I think everyone came to that conclusion from this sentence in the OP "I need to make two separate charts." Not DS, but "I".

 

[Alesia]

These are both helpful ideas. Plus he can also make nice BIG charts with that suggested poster board and markers....a mostly hand-created display might have more visual oomph than a single sheet or two printed up on a computer. He can always use huge type-fonts to print up the words or single letters for signage too.

I must say, it is hard to resist the pull of the overdoing parents in our midst, the dads that build the stunning Pinewood Derby cars, the moms that just plain write student essays, but it can be done...I do it all the time. I would like to point out, though, that the parent was not saying she had done the scientific work of growing and of studying and of gathering the information on the plants (which is supposed to be the main emphasis of this activity), she was asking how to make a chart so the work her son had done would be displayed. I'm a more hard-core truth-teller than many I know, but to say or to imply that someone asking for *display* advice for a science fair project is outright cheating...you really think so?

Yes, much of the success in life is learning how to make our work and even ourselves appealing to others, but this is a "Science Fair" not a "Visual Display" or a "Merchandising Class" Fair.

YMMV,
agnes!

I disagree.

The reason we have science fairs (as opposed to just doing projects in class) is so that children learn not only how to collect scientific data, but also how to display that information in a way that is easy for other people to understand. If anything, the presentation of the information is the more important part of the project.

There is nothing wrong with teaching him how to do the work, but he needs to do the work himself.

 

[TwingleMum]

Why do some people immediately have to criticize or assume. My DS is 9. He hasn't had any computer classes that teach excel. It is his project I am assisting. He has been measuring and writing the data down. The subject was his idea. He has done the work. I am looking to help him make a chart not do the project. GEEZ and you wonder why some people get turned off by some posters. All you had to do was ask how old he was. And bottom line all I asked was for some help with a chart not a lecture. You didn't have to post anything if you didn't want to help. If you don't have something nice to say ....

PS He has been taking photos everyday but I'm sure I could have taken better pictures but it is his project so the slightly off center photos go with the project.

 

[golfgal]

Why do some people immediately have to criticize or assume. My DS is 9. He hasn't had any computer classes that teach excel. It is his project I am assisting. He has been measuring and writing the data down. The subject was his idea. He has done the work. I am looking to help him make a chart not do the project. GEEZ and you wonder why some people get turned off by some posters. All you had to do was ask how old he was. And bottom line all I asked was for some help with a chart not a lecture.

Well, in your first post you say YOU were making the chart. If he doesn't know how to use excel he should be making the chart by hand--which will teach him more about the project then putting some numbers into excel anyway. I can say with confidence if he made a chart by hand he will score higher on his project then having mom make the chart for him on the computer.

 

[traviesojmt]

My son's science teacher gave them the following website to create graphs. You create a new graph, select the type of graph, put in your information and then print the graph. This is the site that our kids were encouraged to use for their science fair project graphs.


http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createAgraph/default.aspx?ID=f724bb3690b84c94b8389df5f02f7689

 

[TwingleMum]

My son's science teacher gave them the following website to create graphs. You create a new graph, select the type of graph, put in your information and then print the graph. This is the site that our kids were encouraged to use for their science fair project graphs.


http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createAgraph/default.aspx?ID=f724bb3690b84c94b8389df5f02f7689

Thanks so much. This sight is great and I think he would be able to do its himself. I knew someone on the Dis would be able to help.

 

[traviesojmt]

Thanks so much. This sight is great and I think he would be able to do its himself. I knew someone on the Dis would be able to help.

No problem. My son's science teacher provided a lot of great links and resources for the science fair.

 

[agnes!]

I disagree.

The reason we have science fairs (as opposed to just doing projects in class) is so that children learn not only how to collect scientific data, but also how to display that information in a way that is easy for other people to understand. If anything, the presentation of the information is the more important part of the project.

There is nothing wrong with teaching him how to do the work, but he needs to do the work himself.

Then maybe a Science Fair should maybe be called a Visual Display Fair or a Merchandising Fair?...
If the 'display' or the presentation is the more important aspect of the entire undertaking, then maybe schools should actually really *teach* that skill in a class...how to display your information - whether its for a Science Fair or whatever. I agree that being able to communicate your ideas to others is an important part of modern life... But sometimes it seems to me that this visualizing/displaying skill is glossed-over by the curriculum, it's assumed.

OP: Glad to hear that your DS is making progress on his project.

agnes!

 

[PixieTopaz]

In our school-the kids who won the Science fair had the Parents do it all-it was so obvious, a "given".