Do All Puppies Grow the Same?
Data Story
In this data story, students explore data about the growth of two dog breeds. They observe patterns in age and weight data, compare the growth of German Shepherds and Dachshunds, and use evidence from cards and graphs to describe how dogs change as they grow. Teacher Notes This lesson uses a Notice & Wonder approach to help students make observations before drawing conclusions from the data. Students begin by comparing two newborn puppies. Although the puppies are different breeds, both start at the same age and weight. This creates a natural question about whether the dogs will remain the same size as they grow. The lesson focuses on interpreting data and comparing quantities rather than formally analyzing scatterplots or coordinate graphs. Encourage students to view the age-versus-weight graph as a visual representation of how dogs change over time. Students may notice two key patterns: 1. Both dog breeds gain weight as they get older. 2. German Shepherds grow larger than Dachshunds. Some students may also notice that both breeds gain weight quickly during their first year and then gain weight more slowly as they get older. This is an important observation that can be highlighted during discussion. Encourage students to use evidence from the cards and graphs to support their observations. Remind students that the dataset includes measurements taken from birth through age 3 and represents only two dog breeds. Different breeds may grow differently.
Did you know? Puppies grow very quickly during their first few years of life. Some dog breeds grow much larger than others. In this activity, you will look at data about two dog breeds: German Shepherds and Dachshunds. You will compare cards, explore graphs, and look for patterns in the data. [--- Pattern: Something that happens again and again in the data. ---] {alert-vocabulary} As you work, think about this question: How do different dogs grow over time? Click Next to begin!
Topics and standards: Notice & Wonder, 3-MD-B-3, Tuva Jr., 4-MD-B-4, 2-MD-D-10, 2-E-18-1, 3-E-15-1, 3-E-15-2, 4-E-12-1, 4-E-12-3, 4-E-12-4, 5-E-10-3