INFORMATION HANDLING – THIRD LEVEL
Significant Aspect of Learning
Research and evaluate data to assess risks and make informed choices
Learning Statements




Distribution
Trends
Misleading Data
Consequences
Experiences & Outcomes
MNU 3-20a:
I can work collaboratively, making appropriate use of technology, to source information presented
in a range of ways, interpret what it conveys and discuss whether I believe the information to be
robust, vague or misleading.
MTH 3-20b:
When analysing information or collecting data of my own, I can use my understanding of how
bias may arise and how sample size can affect precision, to ensure that the data allows for fair
conclusions to be drawn.
MTH 3-21a:
I can display data in a clear way using a suitable scale, by choosing appropriately from an
extended range of tables, charts, diagrams and graphs, making effective use of technology.
MNU 3-22a:
I can find the probability of a simple event happening and explain why the consequences of the
event, as well as its probability, should be considered when making choices.
Learning Intention

We are learning how to research and evaluate data to assess risks and make informed
choices.
Success Criteria





draw a range of statistical diagrams, using a suitable scale.
choose the best diagram to communicate the results of a survey.
describe the terms sampling, reliability and bias.
work with others to source and interpret information and explain why I think it is robust,
vague or misleading.
use my understanding of chance and uncertainty to make informed decisions.
select and organise relevant information to create text, using suitable vocabulary.
1
INFORMATION HANDLING
INVESTIGATION
ASSESSMENT
Current recommendations are that everyone should eat at least five portions of a
variety of fruit and vegetables each day.
The doctors decided to survey the amount of fruit and vegetables eaten each day by people in their area.
Jenny and Amir went out into the High Street and questioned people leaving two different shops. They
asked, “How many pieces of fruit and vegetables do you eat each day?” Jenny went to one end of the High
Street and Amir went to the other end.
Here are the results:
Jenny
2
10
3
0
2
5
2
3
1
0
5
2
3
1
3
2
0
1
3
2
3
6
1
1
3
5
3
7
3
3
Amir
6
6
10
3
3
8
5
10
4
5
4
5
8
4
5
3
2
7
5
6
5
4
5
6
Display this data using appropriate statistical diagrams and justify your choice of diagram.
What differences or similarities do you notice in the two groups of data?
Jenny and Amir analysed their data. One of them was standing outside a well-known Health Food Shop
whilst the other was standing outside a well-known Burger Chain. Who do you think was standing outside
the Health Food Shop?
Comment on how their choice of position in the High Street influenced the results.
Using the results, what is the probability that someone chosen at random from outside the Health Food Shop
eats the recommended five or more pieces of fruit and vegetables per day?
2
Similarly, what is the probability that someone chosen at random from outside the Burger Chain eats the
recommended five or more pieces of fruit and vegetables per day?
The doctors want to tackle the issue of poor diet amongst their patients. They want to publicise the
importance of eating ‘five a day’. On the evidence of the results above, which would be the better place in
the High Street to distribute their leaflets and why?
The following week, Amir is away on holiday and Jenny has to collect results on her own. Suggest an
appropriate position in the High Street to collect results so that they are robust and a more accurate reflection
of the eating habits of the local population.
Jenny goes out early in the morning to gather results and by 8.30am she has the following data, which is
shown below in a pie chart:
Number of Fruit and Veg. Portions
Eaten per Day
7 or more 0 1 2
3
6
4
5
By lunchtime, she has gathered many more results as the High Street gets busier. Here is a pie chart which
represents all of the results gathered that morning:
Number of Fruit and Veg. Portions
Eaten per Day
7 or more
6
01
2
5
3
4
Which set of results is more representative of the population of the town? Comment on the importance of
sample size.
3
EVIDENCE
The doctors decided to survey the amount of fruit and vegetables eaten each day by people in their area. Jenny
and Amir went out into the High Street and questioned people leaving two different shops. They asked, “How
many pieces of fruit and vegetables do you eat each day?” Jenny went to one end of the High Street and Amir
went to the other end.
Here are the results:
Jenny
2
10
3
0
2
5
2
3
1
0
5
2
3
1
3
2
0
1
3
2
3
6
1
1
3
5
3
7
3
3
Amir
6
6
10
3
3
8
5
10
4
5
4
5
8
4
5
3
2
7
5
6
5
4
5
6
Display this data using appropriate statistical diagrams.
Learner Conversation:
“I created this pie chart on software. It was
good in one way because the biggest portion
showed the most common number of fruit
and veg that was eaten. However, I also
thought it was a bit complicated. I did not like
that it was so difficult to tell what each sector
was, using the key.”
“The learner used Excel to
create his chart”.
4
Learner Conversation:
“I drew a pie chart to display the data. As I
was making it, I realised that I had no way
of showing clearly that no people asked in
Jenny’s survey ate 4, 8 or 9 pieces of fruit
and vegetables per day. I also realised
that there was no easy way to see how
many people responded for each portion
number. Even if you measured the pie
chart angle, you don’t know what the pie
chart is out of. I thought that bar charts
might be clearer.”
Teacher Reflection:
“This shows the need for our
learner to show more mature
thinking and appreciate that the
exact number of people responding
for each category in the context of
this survey is less important than
the proportions of the total data
group responding for each
category.”
5
Learner Conversation:
“I decided to create bar graphs
using Excel because it was a
simple and clear way to display the
data. It also made it really easy to
compare the two sets of results.”
Teacher Reflection:
“The learner used pie charts initially
as they have the advantage of
showing proportions.
The next step was to expose the
learner to two groups of data of
different sizes so that comparisons
could be made.”
6
What differences or similarities do you notice in the two groups of data?
Jenny and Amir analysed their data. One of them was standing outside a well-known Health Food Shop whilst
the other was standing outside a well-known Burger Chain. Who do you think was standing outside the Health
Food Shop?
Comment on how their choice of position in the High Street influenced the results.
7
Using the results, what is the probability that someone chosen at random from outside the Health Food Shop
eats the recommended five or more pieces of fruit and vegetables per day?
Similarly, what is the probability that someone chosen at random from outside the Burger Chain eats the
recommended five or more pieces of fruit and vegetables per day?
Teacher Reflection:
“We did not ask our learner in
the task to compare these two
probabilities. However, in the
way the task was set up, it was
difficult for him to avoid
making comparisons. This led
to a wider discussion about
how we could make that
comparison easier.”
The doctors want to tackle the issue of poor diet amongst their patients. They want to publicise the importance
of eating ‘five a day’. On the evidence of the results above, which would be the better place in the High Street
to distribute their leaflets and why?
The following week, Amir is away on holiday and Jenny has to collect results on her own. Suggest an
appropriate position in the High Street to collect results so that they are robust and a more accurate reflection of
the eating habits of the local population.
8
Jenny goes out early in the morning to gather results and by 8.30am she has the following data, which is
shown below in a pie chart:
Number of Fruit and Veg. Portions
Eaten per Day
7 or more 0 1 2
3
6
4
5
By lunchtime, she has gathered many more results as the High Street gets busier. Here is a pie chart which
represents all of the results gathered that morning:
Number of Fruit and Veg. Portions
Eaten per Day
7 or more
6
01
2
5
3
4
Which set of results is more representative of the population of the town? Comment on the importance of
sample size.
“The learner was then asked to investigate statistics in the media,
comparing the effects of different amounts of fruit and vegetables
and types eaten on mortality rates. The learner was asked to read a
number of selected newspaper articles on the Internet and answer
the following questions. For your information, these articles have
been summarised and diagrams reproduced.”
9
SUMMARY OF ARTICLE
A study, using the Health Survey for England, finds new
evidence linking fruit and vegetable consumption with lower
mortality:

Compared to eating less than one portion of fruit and vegetables, the risk of death by any cause is
reduced by 14% by eating one to three portions of fruit and vegetables, 29% for three to five portions,
36% for five to seven portions and 42% for seven or more.

These figures excluded deaths within a year of the Health Survey and were also adjusted to take
account of gender, age, smoking habits, social class, Body Mass Index, education, physical activity
and alcohol intake.
Write a short summary (no more than 50 words) about the subject of the research.
Do you think that the data is robust? Why?
10
The researchers adjusted their data to take account of the following factors which could otherwise have
influenced the results:
 Education
 Smoking habits
 Age
 Gender
 Social class
 Body Mass Index
 Alcohol intake.
Pick two factors and describe how these bias the results by affecting mortality.
Can you think of any other issues which may make the data unreliable?
11
SUMMARY OF ARTICLE
This bar chart shows mortality rates by the amount of fruit and vegetables eaten:
You can reduce your risk
of early death by
increasing the number of
fruit and veg. portions that
14%
you eat.
1 to 3 a day 29%
3 to 5 a day
36%
42%
5 to 7 a day
7 or more a day
Highlight at least two issues which make the diagram confusing, vague or misleading.
12
Describe how to change the graph to fix these issues.
Teacher Reflection:
“The learner recalled very successfully the
key requirements for a grouped data bar
chart.
Discussion ensued about improvements,
particularly the fact that there was overlap
between the categories.”
13
SUMMARY OF ARTICLE
Healthy diet means more than seven portions of fruit and veg
per day, not five:
How different food portions
increase or decrease the risk
of premature death.
Based on 1 a day
– 8%
Mixed Veg.
– 9%
Dried Fruit
– 7%
Mixed Fruit
– 5%
–13%
Pulses
Salad
– 4%
Fresh Fruit
– 3%
Fruit Juice
+17%
Frozen/Cann
ed Fruit
–16%
Vegetables
Risk of Death
Percentage
42%
36%
Decrease
29%
0% 14%
0-1
1-3
3-5
57
7+
Portions of Fruit and Veg
per Day

It was found that those people with the highest intakes of fruit and vegetables were also 25% less likely
to die from cancer and 31% less likely to die from heart disease.

Deaths by any cause, within a year of the study, were excluded. It was reported that if these people
were included in the study, the risk of death is reduced by 33% for eating at least seven portions of fruit
and vegetables each day.
14
How does eating frozen or tinned fruit affect mortality rates?
Learner Conversation:
“Tinned and frozen fruit is a
positive percentage decrease.
That’s a bit complicated but it
means that it has an overall
negative effect on life expectancy.”
How do the experts explain this finding?
How would you change the research methods in order to make the results less misleading?
15
Summarise the overall benefits of eating 7 or more portions fruit and vegetables a day.
Many newspapers reported statistics which omitted the first year of the study.
Summarise how the omitted data biases the results.
“The learner had to grasp the
concept of a percentage reduction
in mortality and identify that a 42%
reduction was better than a 33%
reduction.”
16