Jessica Palmer
Data Analysis Instructional Unit
Standard Covered: M7D1. Students will pose questions, collect data, represent and analyze the
data, and interpret results.
a. Formulate questions and collect data from a census of at least 30 objects and
from samples of varying sizes.
b. Construct frequency distributions.
c. Analyze data using measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode),
including recognition of outliers.
d. Analyze data with respect to measures of variation (range, quartiles,
interquartile range).
Day One
The data analysis project will be introduced at the beginning of class. This is the culminating project for
our 6 week data analysis unit. Each student will be required to select a research question that can be
asked to a sample of at least 30 students. I will model each step of the data collection and analysis
project using the question “How many hours of sleep did you get last night?” using the class as the
sample. Each answer must be rounded to the nearest hour.
 None of my six students are familiar enough with Microsoft Word to do more than type a paper,
so we will be spending a considerable amount of time learning how to create tables.
 I will use my computer hooked up to the TV as the class helps me create a table appropriate for
the sample question listed above. This will involve a lot of trial and error as the class sees how
user friendly (or not user friendly) their suggestions are. Hopefully, our finished product will look
like this:
Person
Number
# of
hours of
sleep
last
night
1
2
3
4
5
6

I’ll write this table on my whiteboard and have each student come up and write in how
many hours of sleep they got last night
Day Two
We will start class by briefly reviewing how to construct a frequency table and histogram and how the
two displays are related. I’ll have the class copy the completed data table from yesterday onto a sheet of
notebook paper and they’ll work in pairs to create a frequency table. Hopefully, it’ll look like this:
# of
Tally
hours of
sleep
last
night
6
II
7
IIII
8
II
After each pair has a frequency table in hand that I’ve approved, we’ll go to the computer lab to use
Excel to make the histograms. They will each open up a new workbook and type in the label for the y
axis under column A- “Number of Hours of Sleep Last Night.” In column B they will write “Frequency”
and fill in the appropriate numbers using their frequency table.
Number
of
Hours
of Sleep
Last
Night
Tally
6
2
7
4
8
2
Then, the class will follow these steps which will be typed and next to their desks:
1. Select the text and click Insert -> Column -> 2D Column. We will stop here and talk about the
characteristics of a histogram and why this is NOT a histogram.
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Number of
Hours of Sleep
Last Night
Tally
1
2
3
2. Right click the graph and click “Select Data”
3. Select the words “Number of Hours of Sleep Last Night” and click “Edit” located in the
Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels section.
4. Once the box pops up, use your mouse to select the data “6,7,8” on your Excel workbook and hit
OK.
5. Click on Upper Limit of Interval to highlight the selection and then click the Remove button.
 Note: these instructions were taken from http://www.brighthub.com/computing/windowsplatform/articles/14809.aspx
Number of Hours Slept Last
Night
5
4
3
Tally
2
1
0
6
7
8
Day Three
My rationale for allowing Excel to calculate measures of central tendency is twofold: we have already
spent 6 weeks learning how to do this and each student is able to perform these calculations and all of
my students are allowed to use calculators based on their IEP accommodations.
To complete today’s activities, each student will need to refer back to the original data set that was
copied down on Day One.
Person
Number
1
# of
hours of
sleep
last
night
6
2
8
3
7
4
7
5
7
6
6
7
8
8
7
First, I will have my students number each participant under column A in Excel. For the purposes of the
illustration, I chose to show a much smaller sample size than is required of my students. Column B is
where the number of hours will go.
To calculate mean, I will show the class how to highlight the selection
Once the selection is highlighted, I’ll click Formulas, then AutoSum, then Average. The mean will show
up below the data set as 7.
Then, we’ll calculate median by writing the numbers in order from least to greatest and finding the
middle number (7). The mode will be found by looking at which number occurs most (7). Since we have
the data ordered from least to greatest, we’ll also review how to construct a box-and-whisker plot by
finding the upper and lower quartiles. The rest of day three will be spent reviewing how to calculate
measures of central tendency and quartiles given several data sets. (See Appendix A). We will also
calculate interquartile range.
Day Four
This is the first day that my students will begin work on their individual projects. They will get in pairs to
talk about research questions that they would be interested in answering. For the purposes of this
project, the questions must be answered with numerical data as opposed to categorical data.
After the students have spent about ten minutes in pairs discussing questions, I will give them an index
card to write their question on. Each student will share their question and take advice from the class as
to how their data table should be designed. The end product of this class will be a research question and
the beginning of a data table. Most of the work will be done in pairs or groups so that the students can
bounce ideas off each other instead of always asking me what I think. Towards the end of class I’ll allow
five or ten minutes to answer questions.
Day Five
Today will be spent in the computer lab designing the data collection tables. I will be available to assist
as needed, although this is a culminating project and I expect the students to be able to function largely
on their own. At the end of the period, each student should have a hard and soft copy of their data table
to be used.
Day Six
Today will be used to collect the data. My students will visit other math classes and make short pitches,
one at a time, to the class. They will collect their data and quietly wait for the rest of the class. I expect
to be able to visit all three math classes with my six students in one class period.
Day Seven
Today the class will make a frequency table and histogram with their data set in the computer lab using
the steps already given. They will be required to print out their final graphs.
Day Eight
Today will be used to analyze the data using measures of central tendency in the computer lab. I will
require each student to calculate the measures without technology and then as demonstrated above
the data will be entered into Excel to find the mean.
Day Nine
Today is the last day to work on projects- they’ll be creating their box and whisker plot as their last
graph and preparing the poster. It must be colorful and interesting and display every element of the
standard M7D1.
Appendix A
-3, 14, 0, 3, 6, 8, 0, 4, -3, 1
3, 1.5, 2, 8, -4, -6, 1, .5, 6, 7
Mean-
Mean-
Median-
Median-
Mode-
Mode-
Range-
Range-
Outliers?
Outliers?
Upper Quartile-
Upper Quartile-
Lower Quartile-
Lower Quartile
Upper Extreme-
Upper Extreme-
Lower Extreme-
Lower Extreme-
IQR-
IQR-
0, 1, 2, 6, 15
14, 4, -2, 1, 8, -6, -3, -4
Mean-
Mean-
Median-
Median-
Mode-
Mode-
Range-
Range-
Outliers?
Outliers?
Upper Quartile-
Upper Quartile-
Lower Quartile-
Lower Quartile
Upper Extreme-
Upper Extreme-
Lower Extreme-
Lower Extreme-
IQR-
IQR-