Come to Your Census

Project using Fathom Software - Statistics, 2001

Wed., September 26 - Becoming Familiar with Census Data

Census Data Output - reading data sets (10 minutes)

Card People Activity - Relationships and making conjectures (25 minutes)

Assignment: Make a conjecture based on a display of 60 people's data that has been separated into 2 categories and a set of second categories.
1. Each pair of students should write their conjecture as a title for their presentation.
2. Make a display of the "card people" on the paper that illustrates that conjecture by taping or gluing the cards to the display.
3. The display should include your conclusion: Do you think your conjecture is true? Why or why not?

Grading Criteria:
            * Clear, concise conjecture?
            * Clear criteria for categories? (e.g. old means age > 25)
            * Is it clear how the arrangement of people is related to the conjecture?
            * Is the conclusion supported mathematically? (percents, fractions, to support conjecture?)
            * Does the data and analysis logically support the conclusion?

Discussion of the displays/conjectures (10-15 minutes)

Thursday, September 27 - Exploring Census Data/Two Graphs and Selection (worksheets p. 15 - 16, & 18)
Labs 41 and 43
What's important?
* These next activities are meant to give you an introduction to exploratory data analysis and a grounding in the way Fathom works.
* Different representations are good for answering different questions.
* Some representations show differences and similarities between groups.

Due today: P. 15-16

Friday, September 28 - Out of Many, Fewer I & II (worksheets p. 20 - 22)
Labs 41 and 43
What's important?
* Formulas permeate Fathom and you'll see them here.
* Boolean expressions (and/or/not etc. ) are legitimate mathematics. They are some of the most useful mathematics in our information-drenched society. Unless there are parentheses, NOT usually takes precedence over AND and OR.
* The concept of using filters to reduce the scope of your data is important in data analysis.
* When presented with any conclusion, always ask, "For whom is this true?" Filters will address this issue.

Due today: P. 18 and P. 20

Monday, October 1 - Making Categories (worksheets p. 24-26)
Labs 41 and 43
What's important?
* Having multiple ways to represent the same data lets you discover more about the data than any single technique.
* Making a new attribute is critical to creative data analysis.
* This activity involves conditional probability. Review this!
* While making new attributes is important, it can also be misleading. There are potential problems that come up with stereotyping people.

Due today: P. 21 - 22

Tuesday, October 2 - Investigation Conjectures/Features Buffet
(worksheets p. 29 - 35)
Labs 41 and 43
Each of the seven worksheets gives a short introduction to one Fathom feature and some solutions to common problems. You and your partner will sign up to investigate one of these features to demonstrate to the class. If you and your partner finish your work on your topic early, continue on to an additional worksheet that is of interest to you.

Due today: p. 24 - 26

Homework: complete the worksheet that you chose and be ready to present to the class on Wed.

Wednesday, October 3 - Features Buffet - Demonstrations
(worksheets p. 29 - 35)
Labs 41 and 43
1^st 15 minutes: Meet with the other pair of students investigating the same topic and figure out a good way to demonstrate what you learned to the entire class in 3-5 minutes.

Remainder of the class will be student presentations.

Thursday, October 4 - Features Buffet Demonstrations (cont. if necessary)