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Real data investigation idea

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    Hi,

    I am really struggling to find some interesting, but not too complicated real world data to use with my bottom set year 10. We have access to an ICT room so I was thinking that I might get them to look at lots of different ways of presenting and talking about the data, drawing out from them which graphs work best etc. It has to be something real and either based on sport or music to really grab their attention and give them something to talk about.

     Has anyone come accross anything? Any suggestions/ideas would be most welcome.

     Thanks for the replies

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    I wonder if the Sport at School site will help?

    Lots of resources.

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    Google "online reaction timer".  The pain is that results come out as decimals but you could work in thousandths of a second so they can work with whole numbers.

    I found one that takes 5 results for each student.  They can then find their mean and median (you are unlikely to get any modes) and the mean and median for the whole class.

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    I haven't done it but could you look at how music charts are compiled? Or TV ratings. Facebook ranking?
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    I deliver the handling data unit as an investigation which can easily be differentiated for students in years 7-10 (although year 6 could do this as a simpler project) and ranging from NC level 2-6. It's evolved over the years and is popular with students and there's mimimal marking (bonus!) as the students work in groups and take responsibility for being on task, behaviour and h/w setting. Once groups are set they organise equipment and themsleves.

    1st  - introduce unit, discuss questionnaires, bias and vote on survey theme (favourite ice cream, pets, tv genre, games console etc). introduce hypothesis to determine what they want to find out. ** Once the 1st class' questionnaire is decided upon the other classes complete the 2nd part but do not send out their surveys. you only need 1 set of completed surveys!

    2nd  -students in groups of 3-4, group names and ring binder for each group. in groups write sample questions, discuss and vote on relevance etc. choose best 5-6 which will prove/disprove hypothesis and discuss how many students should be questioned for the survey (we've surveyed a whole year group of 220, 10 from each tutor form group across 2 year groups etc). Photocopy questionnaire and get students to distribute in registers etc. *it helps to have a named envelope for each tutor group.

    3rd - Groups set up tally charts for each question ready for when all questionnaires are returned (i learnt quickly to give a deadline and prize for 1st returned) and also a tick list of all the tutor groups so that they can keep track of what data they've entered onto the tally charts.

    4th -enter the data. groups decide 1 reader and the rest complete the tally charts. this takes a couple of lessons, however, its useful as they take ownership of their primary data. 

    5th - present data on graph paper/ICT . although they are in a group, each student completes their own set of graphs for each question -the group deadlines keep everyone on task and up to date.

    6th - interpret and analyse data. The evaluation discussions can be amazing from all abilities! Stats work, probability, averages etc are all included in the investigation.

    7th - EBI - groups discuss, decide and justify what their focus would be on if they could extend their investigation (ask more people, age range etc). presentations to the class/tutor group/year assembly can be done if students are happy to. through working in groups students support each other and decide what homework is needed to complete the next stage of their investigation (internet research featured high on the h/w list as most wanted to include other survey data etc). Lessons started with groups collecting any equipment required, followed by group managers giving progress reports and updates on any predictions or anomolies found.

    Presentation of findings can be given at a year assembly if students are happy to do it.

    I've used this basic format for the last 7 years, plan time for textbook work to consolidate and it's still 'fresh' each time because of the students. Enjoy maths!

     

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    Well its not sport or music but it is almost the next best thing for kids.......death.  I put this on the resources area a couple of years ago

    Eyam-the-Plague-Village-Statistics-Project-6067155.

    I've done it twice with low ability year 10's and both groups seem to really enjoy it.  If you have access to a computer room they can analyse all the data, instead of a sample, and perhaps produce a poster or powerpoint of their findings.



    [edited by: Stato at 19:10 (GMT 0) on 10-5-2012]
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