GlobalSchoolNet.org -- Linking Kids Around the World!

In this statistical investigation, our students will create a survey to be administered to middle school students in their own classrooms and school and in other schools in different locales around the country/world. Students will keep in mind that a statistical investigation involves posing questions, collecting data, analyzing data, and interpreting the results. Once data is collected, students will need to organize, display and analyze them.

The survey questions will be posted on the project website for participation by other students. For the duration of the project, students will answer the survey questions as posted with the cumulative results to be displayed. The unit will explore the various ways to analyze data. The students will choose the most appropriate methods of analysis from bar graphs, coordinate graphs, stacked bar graphs or stem and leaf plots. They will differentiate between categorical and numerical data and determine the appropriate ways to display each. They will also calculate Mean, Median, Mode and Range of the data when appropriate.

The goal of the project is to gather data for analysis from a broader base than is possible in a single classroom. They will determine what are some of the characteristics of a typical middle-school student. This information will be presented as a group project. Each group will either be assigned or get to choose specific data generated from the survey. The students in each group will determine which is the best approach to display the data. They may use posters, write a report, use a power point presentation or find some other way to communicate their results. They should also be sure to think about what kinds of displays and which measures of center are most appropriate for each set of data values they use. They will use the results of their analysis to describe some characteristics of a middle-school student. They will decide if there is a student that fits all the “typical” characteristics that were found? If not, then will explain why. They will give an oral presentation and answer any questions posed by their peers. They will also be expected to defend the manner in which their findings were displayed and the types of graphs chosen for each type of data.

Each participating school may log on to the web site and use the cumulative data for their own project purposes.