Appropriate grade level: 4-8
Subjects: Science, Mathematics
Time required: Several class periods
Hawai`i Performance Standards:
        Math: Display data through the use of tables and graphs, including bar, circle, line, and scatterplot.
        Science: Depict information and relationships by constructing diagrams, charts, and graphs.
Materials: Population data, graph paper (or computer software for graphing).
Objectives: To gain experience in graphing, and to display data for analysis.

Procedure:
1. There are many sets of data from the Albatross Project that are suitable for graphing.   But why bother?  Because graphing makes things easily visible.  Compared to a list or table of numbers, a graph creates a visual image that often allows the viewer to immediately understand the data.  Explain this to your class.

2. Data from the Albatross Project that can be graphed include flight distances, flight destinations, time between feedings, weight gain of the baby albatross, hatching and fledging dates, etc.  Before getting into the project data, this activity presents a couple of sets of data related to albatrosses for some graphing practice.

3. Click here for a chart displaying data on the number of nesting pairs of albatross at Kilauea Point.  A bar graph is suitable for presenting this data.  The bar graph includes three years of data already put onto the graph as an example of how to proceed.  Students should complete the graph.  (The chart may exceed the size of your screen, but if you print it the chart should be the right size for an 8.5x11 sheet of paper.)

4. Additional data on other relevant topics will be provided in the weeks to come, so students can have some other graphing opportunities related to the Albatross Project.