Origami, Excel and data modeling

Exploration Description

This exploration introduces the concept of discrete data and model simulation.  We will investigate the reasons for migration in animal species, addressing in particular the Monarch butterflies.  We will learn how to input discrete data in Excel (or Google sheets) and the basic tools for graphing and fitting a curve that best describes the trend of the data.  In addition, we will explore the basic orgami folding techniques to build our own kaleidoscope of butterflies.

OBJECTIVES

• Define discrete data and migration phenomena.

• Input and graphing discrete data in Excel.

• Graphing best curve fitting to data.

• Reflection and validation of model.

• Reflection on real life migration of a given species.

• Introduction to origami folding.

REQUIREMENTS

• Basic understanding of dependent vs independent variables.

• Basic understanding of graphing ordered pairs and functions in the x-y-coordinate plane.

• Personal Laptop with at least a RAM: 4GB, CPU: Dual core 1GHz, Browser: Safari 13, Microsoft Edge 93, Google Chrome 93 or Mozilla Firefox 70 GPU: A decent iGPU or dedicated GPU.

AGE RANGE:  12 and older.

TIME DURATION: 2 or 4 hours, depending on age and depth desired.