Computing

It is really important for us to learn computer skills. This is even more important now, as lots of us are finding out. At school, we LOVE getting the laptops out and this challenge is really fun. I know you will love it. It is all about collecting data and creating a graph to show what you have found. You will need to check that Microsoft Excel works on your computer or laptop.

The first thing you need to do for this activity is... GO OUTSIDE. You are going on a minibeast hunt. Search for the minibeasts that are already listed in the chart. You will need this information for the next part of this activity, which involves a computer.

Keep a tally of how many you find. Remember, a tally is done by drawing a small line and putting a cross through every 4 you find to make a group of 5. It will look like the picture below. Can you see how many centipedes I found by looking at my tally?

For an extra CHALLENGE, choose your own insects and write them in. Keep a tally of how many of these you find, too.

Hunt for Minibeasts.doc

Now you need a laptop or computer that works with Microsoft Excel. This is a spreadsheet programme which will build a bar chart for you when you put in the amount of each minibeast you found. Type the number of each minibeast you found over the top of the 0 and watch the bar chart create itself!

For a CHALLENGE, change the 5 minibeasts to 5 minibeasts of your choice and watch how they change on the graph. Now change the amount of each one and watch what happens.

Excel Minibeast Spreadsheet and Chart.xls