Planning an Investigation
Plan and conduct statistical investigations by posing questions or identifying a problem and collecting relevant data; choose appropriate displays and interpret the data; communicate findings within the context of the investigation.
Read this first
Ask, collect, display, then report. Do them in that order.
The bus is the most common way to travel.
Words you need
- Investigation
- Finding an answer by collecting data.
- Question
- What you are trying to find out.
- Findings
- What the data tells you.
Worked example
e.g. Find out how children in your class travel to school.
- Write the question. How do you travel to school?
- Collect the answers. Use a tally chart.
- Choose a display. A column graph suits categories.
- Report what you found, and say who you asked.
Your class is not the whole school. Say so in your report.
Practice
The pictures fade as you go. By the last few you are on your own.
1Which way is most common?with a picture
AnswerBus, with 12.
2How many more take the bus than the car?with a picture
Answer6 more.
3Is 'what is the best sport?' a good question?with a hint
Need a hint?
Can everyone answer it the same way?
AnswerNo. Best means different things to different people.
4Why choose the display after collecting?with a hint
Need a hint?
You need to know what kind of data you have.
AnswerThe data type decides which display works.
5Name the four steps of an investigation.on your own
AnswerAsk, collect, display, report.
6You asked 10 people. Is that enough for the whole school?on your own
AnswerNo. It is too few.
7What should a report always include?on your own
AnswerWhat you found and who you asked.
Think about it
1
Why write the question first?
One good answerSo you collect the right data.
2
Why say who you asked?
One good answerBecause the answer may only be true for that group.
Common mistakes
Making the graph before checking the data.
Check it first, or the graph is wrong.
Claiming your result is true for everyone.
It is only true for the group you asked.