Brief Description

This is an on-line project sponsored by Crossroads Christian School. It is done during September / October of each year. Students around the world will stack Oreo cookies until the stack falls. Each group will have 3 attempts. The highest number from each group is sent to the coordinator to be tallied. Students will access the data for data analysis. Each group will make a Web Page about the project and data collected. Look for “Loop de Loo” with Fruit Loops in January.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

• 3T-E3:  Publish and present information using technology tools.
• 4T-P3:  Using technology, collaborate with peers, experts, and others to contribute to a content related knowledge base.

 

• 2M-P1:  Construct and draw inferences including measures of central tendency, from charts, tables, graphs, and data plots that summarize data from the real-world  situations.
• 2M-P2: Use appropriate technology to display and analyze data.
• 2M-P11: Apply the concepts of mean, median, mode and range to draw conclusions about data.

Academic

• Students will be able to measure to the nearest millimeter.
• Students will be able to calculate Mean, Mode, Median and Range.
• Students will create a graph of the data collected from schools participating in the project.

• Students will be able to analyze the data collected using Excel.
• Students will E-mail their data, using the appropriate form to the coordinator
• Students will construct a Web Page, showing the data, graphs, and pictures taken; that will be attached to my Web Page, if parent permission is given.

• Students should be able to access the Internet, put in a URL, and fill out the appropriate data in a form.
• Students should be able to use Excel, for data and graphs.
• Students should be able to use a digital camera if they wish to include photos (with parent permission)
• Students should be able to use Netscape Composer or similar program to design a Web Page.

• Oreo Cookies (1/2 bag per group)
• Rulers/tape that measure in millimeters
• Student Handouts – Group Activity and Individual Questions.
• Floppy disk per group
• Digital Camera/scanner (optional)
• Access to the Internet
• Web Page program (Netscape composer, FrontPage) – if creating a Web Page

Reach/gifted students: These students should be put in the different groups and can use their creativity in helping the group produce their Web Page. They can be challenged to use Excel to find the mean, mode, median and range of a set of data.

SEI (Sheltered English Immersion) students: These students should be distributed among the groups but may be paired with a person who can translate. This lesson is mostly Hands-on and students work in a group so they should be successful in helping with all aspects of the lesson.

Special Education Students: These students should be distributed among the groups and since there is not a great deal of reading or writing, they can achieve success by using multiple intelligences during the Web Page process. They can use a calculator for the math process and the group can check answers with each other and discuss the process for finding mean, mode median and range.

Physically Challenged Students: These students can stack the first few cookies or designate the person they wish so they are part of the process.

Procedures

• Register at http://63.171.20.53/projects/Oreo/oreo2002.htm.
• The project has already ended for 2002.  Check back to participate in 2003.

• Each participating class will need a minimum of 2 bags of Nabisco's Oreo Chocolate and Creme Sandwich Cookie (16 oz - approx $3.49 per bag - NOT DOUBLE STUFF!)
• Class needs to be divided into 4 groups or multiple of 4 groups of students.
• Each group will stack Oreos (taking turns) one at a time until the stack tumbles.
• Groups will keep records (individual and group) as they stack the Oreos on both measurement and amount of Oreos used. Photos are also encouraged. (However, please follow your school policies regarding photos being displayed on the Internet when sending the photos)
• Each group may stack Oreos 3 times and will inform the teacher of their HIGHEST NUMBER of Oreos stacked!
• Oreos need to be stacked as a single tower, one on top of the next. No pyramids or any other configurations will be counted. (However if you wish to try this as an added activity, please feel free to do so)
• Have students submit the online form (or send email to jwagner@crossroadsschool.org) with the highest count for each group. If you are sending photos -- please send them to:  oreoproject@crossroadsschool.org.  Remember to include your school name. Students' names will NOT be posted with the photos.
• Data will be posted on the website displaying an overall average of all Oreos stacked (per group)!.
• A regular bag of Oreos has about 51 cookies -- so 1/2 a bag should be sufficient for 1 group. However, if you need more, your groups could share or you might need to buy an extra bag. Double Stuff Oreos may NOT be used. You may NOT use chocolate creme, orange creme, or any other creme filling! (This is to keep all measurements consistent using the original cookie size only)
• Oreos may not be manipulated in ANY way. In other words -- you may not smooth them to make them stack better. You may not use glue or any other substance to make them stick together. How the Oreo comes out of the bag is how the Oreo is to be used. Any broken Oreos may be discarded or eaten.
• You are only allowed 3 chances to stack!!! NO MORE than 3 attempts per group!!
• Data is posted regularly at the Web site, at least once a week. (Depending when you do the project you can have students collect data for up to 6 weeks.)
• Students will collect the data weekly and find the Mean, Median, Mode and Range of each group and the data as a whole. They will graph the results (using appropriate technology, i.e. Excel)
• In groups, students will produce a Web Page containing the experiment, data and graphs and any pictures they may have taken. (If these are to be posted on the Internet make sure all guidelines for your school/district are met in regards to this.) Amphitheater School District can find the permission forms at http://www.amphi.com/~technology/612.htm
• If the group does not get permission to use the work/photos, the students will create a local Web Page for assessment only.
• The project provides worksheets, science ideas, Oreo Facts, Recipes, Linking Sites, and the Nabisco site.

Students will be assessed individually on: (25 points)

• Accurate measurement of the cookies (to nearest millimeter)-table checked on student handout.
• Accuracy on finding the mean, mode, median, and range of class data with help of a calculator (working out shown)
• Accuracy on finding the mean, mode, median, and range of data collected online. (Use of calculator or other device allowed.)
• Equation for stack height of Oreo cookies given the number of cookies.
• Accurate predictions using their equation.

• Graphs and the Web Page. (The overall page will be assessed and whether it has been saved correctly)

Web Page should have:
I.   An explanation of the project and strategies used.
II.  Data collected
III.  Graph

Teacher Name: Ann Faulkner
Site: AHS
Date Submitted: October 30, 2002