Lesson 30 How do I handle the data?

How do I handle the data?

Presenting data appropriately
Overview Resources
An activity on selecting modes of data representation appropriate to different contexts. All the contexts call for comparisons of data sets, but the meanings are best revealed in different ways: either a direct visual contrast, graphs of functions, or correlation scatter graphs. Worksheets 1,2 and 3
Graph paper
Aims Curriculum links
Metacognition and bridging
  • Handling data:correlation, functions, modes of representation
  • Organising and analysing data of a statistical enquiry, selecting and modifying tables, graphs and diagrams
  • EPISODE 1
    First round on organising data
    Given three different contexts, pupils recognise that different modes of data representation are needed to reveal the inner meaning. First the pupils share the meaning of data analysis, e/g/ to group, classify, simplify or represent data in ways that allow some comparisons or ideas to come out. They recall their prior knowledge as bar charts, back-to-back stem-and-leaf, tallying, simple graphs, scatter graphs, mean/median/mode. the experience allows the class to consider, then evaluate briefly, which data handling methods are useful in each context, without going into detail.
    EPISODE 2
    Analysing data in greater depth
    By analysing sets of data in each context, by the end of the lesson pupils should be able to compare and contrast methods, developing a critical outlook in the process. For one context, visual comparison of two sets of tally marks or bar charts may be best done as a stem-and-leaf. Graphical line representation allows comparisons and estimated intermediate values with the continuous variable of temperature. In the third context both correlation and comparisons of representative values like mode, mean and median are useful.

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