SSAC General Collection Modules

Following are short descriptions of the available modules. To access any of them, select from the list and you will connect to cover material including learning goals, context of use, and other information. Within the cover material (under "Teaching Materials") there is a link by which you can download the student version of the module.

There are a couple of ways of searching for modules. The box below left provides a full-text search of the cover material about the module, so you can search by author, subject, or keyword. The controlled vocabularies below right allow targeted searches by three different dimensions (click on the links to see the full, hierarchical vocabularies): Math content (Quantitative Concept) (Microsoft Word 41kB Jun17 10), Context (Subject) (Microsoft Word 29kB Jul13 07), and Excel Skill (Microsoft Word 32kB Jul13 07).

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Results 1 - 10 of 55 matches

Carbon Sequestration in Campus Trees part of Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum:General Collection:Examples
Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum module. Students use allometric relationships to calculate tree mass from trunk diameter in a stand of trees in the Pacific Northwest.

Quantitative Concepts: Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Descriptive statistics; trend lines :Line- and curve-fitting, Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Visual display of data :Logarithmic scale, Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Statistical models; statistical inference; sampling, Algebra; Modeling; Functions:Nonlinear functions of a single variable:Power function, Algebra; Modeling; Functions:Straight lines and linear functions:Slope, intercept; linear trends, Algebra; Modeling; Functions:Manipulating equations, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Logarithms; orders of magnitude; scientific notation, Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Visual display of data :XY scatter plots, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Significant figures, Creating and manipulating tabular data, Algebra; Modeling; Functions:Nonlinear functions of a single variable:Logarithmic function, Exponential function, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Comparisons; percent difference, change, increase
Subject: Natural science:Earth science, Biology
Excel Skills: Basic Arithmetic:Nested Formulas, Other Elementary Math Functions:EXP, Graphs and Charts:Pie Chart, Other Elementary Math Functions:LN
CLEAN Selected This activity has been selected for inclusion in the CLEAN collection.
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Exercise to Calculate River Discharge part of Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum:General Collection:Examples
Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum module. Students use field data from rivers to understand how river discharge is calculated.

Quantitative Concepts: Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Gathering data , Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Estimation, Number operations:Number operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, Geometry; Trigonometry :Other plane figures, Creating and manipulating tabular data, Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Visual display of data :Reading graphs
Subject: Natural science:Earth science
Excel Skills: Basic Arithmetic

Shaking Ground - Linking Earthquake Magnitude and Intensity part of Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum:General Collection:Examples
An in-class activity for connecting earthquake magnitude, shaking, and intensity.

Quantitative Concepts: Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Visual display of data :Reading graphs, Logarithmic scale, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Rates, Algebra; Modeling; Functions:Multivariable functions, Nonlinear functions of a single variable:Power function, Exponential function, Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Visual display of data :XY scatter plots, Algebra; Modeling; Functions:Modeling:Forward modeling, Creating and manipulating tabular data, Geometry; Trigonometry :Circles (including radians and pi), Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Units and Dimensions:Unit Conversions
Subject: Natural science:Earth science
Excel Skills: Graphs and Charts:XY Scatterplot:Multiple Plots, Basic Arithmetic:Nested Formulas, Simple Formulas

From Isotopes to Temperature: Working With A Temperature Equation part of Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum:General Collection:Examples
Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum module. Students build a spreadsheet to examine from a dataset the relation between oxygen isotopes in corals and the temperature of surrounding seawater.

Quantitative Concepts: Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Descriptive statistics; trend lines :Goodness of fit (R2), Standard deviation; variance; range, Line- and curve-fitting, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Average; weighted average, Algebra; Modeling; Functions:Straight lines and linear functions:Slope, intercept; linear trends, Algebra; Modeling; Functions:Manipulating equations, Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Visual display of data :Line graphs, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Ratio and proportion; percentage; interpolation, Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Visual display of data :XY scatter plots, Bar graphs; column graphs; stacked bar graphs, Creating and manipulating tabular data, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Comparisons; percent difference, change, increase
Subject: Natural science:Chemistry, Biology, Earth science
Excel Skills: Basic Arithmetic:Nested Formulas, Graphs and Charts:XY Scatterplot:Trendlines, Graphs and Charts:Bar Graph, Line Graph, Logic Functions:COUNTIF, Statistical Functions:One array:MAX, MIN, etc, Basic Arithmetic:Simple Formulas, Statistical Functions:One array:AVERAGE, STDEV, STDEVP, etc
CLEAN Selected This activity has been selected for inclusion in the CLEAN collection.
Learn more about this review process.

Global Climate: Estimating How Much Sea Level Changes When Continental Ice Sheets Form part of Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum:General Collection:Examples
Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum module. Students build spreadsheets to estimate how far sea level drops during a continental glaciation.

Quantitative Concepts: Algebra; Modeling; Functions:Manipulating equations, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Estimation, Significant figures, Ratio and proportion; percentage; interpolation, Logarithms; orders of magnitude; scientific notation, Units and Dimensions:Unit Conversions, Geometry; Trigonometry :Spheres, Circles (including radians and pi)
Subject: Natural science:Earth science
Excel Skills: Basic Arithmetic:Simple Formulas, Nested Formulas, Angles and Trig Functions:PI
CLEAN Selected This activity has been selected for inclusion in the CLEAN collection.
Learn more about this review process.

The Mole in Chemistry: How do you determine the number of atoms or molecules in everyday items? part of Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum:General Collection:Examples
Spreadsheets across the Curriculum Module. Students build spreadsheets to practice converting between moles, grams, and atomic mass units.

Quantitative Concepts: Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Number operations:Number operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Significant figures, Units and Dimensions:Unit Conversions, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Logarithms; orders of magnitude; scientific notation
Subject: Natural science:Chemistry, Natural science
Excel Skills: Basic Arithmetic:Simple Formulas, Basic Arithmetic

Bacteria in a Flask -- Spreadsheeting Population Density vs. Time part of Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum:General Collection:Examples
Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum module. Students tabulate and graph data on bacteria density vs. time for a culture. Data start with innoculation and progress through the peak and decline.

Quantitative Concepts: Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Descriptive statistics; trend lines :Line- and curve-fitting, Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Visual display of data :Reading graphs, Creating and manipulating tabular data:Organizing and classifying data, Algebra; Modeling; Functions:Straight lines and linear functions:Slope, intercept; linear trends, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Units and Dimensions:Unit Conversions, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Logarithms; orders of magnitude; scientific notation, Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Visual display of data :Logarithmic scale, Algebra; Modeling; Functions:Nonlinear functions of a single variable:Exponential (geometric) growth, Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Visual display of data :XY scatter plots, Algebra; Modeling; Functions:Modeling:Finite differences, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Rates:Rates of Change
Subject: Natural science:Biology
Excel Skills: Basic Arithmetic:Simple Formulas, Graphs and Charts:XY Scatterplot:Log Scale, One Plot, Other Elementary Math Functions:LOG, LOG10

Frequency of Large Earthquakes -- Introducing Some Elementary Statistical Descriptors part of Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum:General Collection:Examples
Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum module. Students examine the number of large earthquakes (magnitude 7 and above) per year for 1970-1999 and 1940-1999. QL: descriptors of a frequency distribution.

Quantitative Concepts: Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Normal distribution, Statistical models; statistical inference; sampling, Probability, Descriptive statistics; trend lines :Standard deviation; variance; range, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Ratio and proportion; percentage; interpolation, Number operations:Number operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Rates, Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Descriptive statistics; trend lines :Median; mode, Creating and manipulating tabular data:Sorting data, Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Descriptive statistics; trend lines :Quartiles; percentiles, Mean, Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Visual display of data :XY scatter plots, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Average; weighted average
Subject: Mathematics, statistics and computers:Statistics, Natural science:Earth science
Excel Skills: Logic Functions:COUNTIF, SUMIF, Statistical Functions:One array:PERCENTILE, Other Manipulations and Functions:Data/Sort, Graphs and Charts:XY Scatterplot:One Plot, Statistical Functions:One array:STDEV, STDEVP, etc, Other Elementary Math Functions:SQRT, Basic Arithmetic:Nested Formulas, Statistical Functions:One array:COUNT, COUNTA, AVERAGE, QUARTILE, Basic Arithmetic:Arithmetic Functions:SUMPRODUCT, Basic Arithmetic:Simple Formulas, Statistical Functions:One array:MODE, LARGE, SMALL, etc, MAX, MIN, etc, MEDIAN, VAR, VARP, etc

Simple vs. Compound Interest -- Spreadsheeting the Difference part of Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum:General Collection:Examples
Spreadsheets Across Curriculum module. Students build spreadsheets to tabulate, graph and compare the future value of investments with compound vs. simple interest. Spreadsheet level: beginner.

Quantitative Concepts: Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Descriptive statistics; trend lines :Line- and curve-fitting, Algebra; Modeling; Functions:Modeling:Forward modeling, Algebra; Modeling; Functions:Nonlinear functions of a single variable:Exponential function, Algebra; Modeling; Functions:Straight lines and linear functions, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Comparisons; percent difference, change, increase, Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Visual display of data :XY scatter plots, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Ratio and proportion; percentage; interpolation, Creating and manipulating tabular data, Algebra; Modeling; Functions:Nonlinear functions of a single variable:Exponential (geometric) growth, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Rates:Rates of Change
Subject: Business, economics and finance :Finance, Mathematics, statistics and computers:Mathematics
Excel Skills: Basic Arithmetic:Nested Formulas, Simple Formulas, Graphs and Charts:XY Scatterplot:Multiple Plots, Trendlines

Predator-Prey Interactions -- Modeling the Number of Fishers and Porcupines in New Hampshire part of Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum:General Collection:Examples
Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum activity/Introductory Ecology course. Students build and manipulate spreadsheets to model and graph populations using the Lotka-Volterra predator-prey equations.

Quantitative Concepts: Calculus; Numerical methods:Differential equations including difference equations, Basic arithmetic; Number sense:Rates:Rates of Change, Algebra; Modeling; Functions:Modeling:Forward modeling, Creating and manipulating tabular data, Measurement; Data presentation and analysis; Probability:Visual display of data :XY scatter plots
Subject: Natural science:Biology
Excel Skills: Graphs and Charts:XY Scatterplot:Multiple Plots, Basic Arithmetic:Simple Formulas, Nested Formulas, Graphs and Charts:XY Scatterplot:One Plot