Unit 6, Lesson 2
Plotting Data
Grade 8
Preparation
Lesson Narrative
Students look deeper into scatter plots and how to interpret them by associating each point with an individual that has been measured in 2 ways. They also collect data about their classmates which will be used in a later lesson, so it should be kept in a spreadsheet or semipermanent display in the classroom.
In this lesson, students choose an appropriate way to display a data set (MP5) and see that the structure in a scatter plot can reveal information about a data set that is not visible in other representations (MP7).
- Create a representation of single-variable data using a box plot, histogram, or dot plot, and compare and contrast (orally) these representations with a scatter plot.
- Create a scatter plot from a table of data, and describe (orally and in writing) the trend of the data.
- Create a table of collected data, and explain (orally) how to organize the data.
Let’s collect and display some data about the class.
Required Materials
Required Preparation
For the Gathering Data activity, each student will need a different book to weigh, measure the length and width, and record the number of pages. Ask students to bring in their favorite book or have several available for students to measure. If needed, some independent bookstores have this information on their website for books. Rulers that measure in centimeters and a scale that can weigh in pounds is needed to measure the books.
At the end of the Gathering Data activity, students are instructed to add their data to a class table. It would be fine for students to record their individual data on the board for all to see. However, this data will be used again in a later lesson, so you need a way of preserving it for later. A useful mechanism might be to set up a shared spreadsheet that students access through a browser.
For the digital version of the activity, acquire devices that can run the applet.