Select a type of graph form among those in section 7.1 which you feel is appropriate for graphing the life expectancies (typical ages) of 200 species of animals. Discuss the graph you choose and its advantages as compared to two or three other types of graphs from this section that might be used. List some disadvantages of the other types of graphs.
7.1 Concepts
Box plots do not convey as much specific information about the data set, such as where the clusters occur, as histograms do. But box plots can provide effective comparisons between two data sets because they make descriptive characteristics such as the median and interquartile range readily apparent.
NCTM Standards 2000, page 251
Graphs are visual methods of illustrating data. There are several types of graphs for one-variable data and two-variable data, and it is important to know the type of data for each type of graph. For example, does the double-bar graph in Exercises and Problems 7.1 illustrate one-variable or two-variable data? List a few types of graphs for one-variable data and write about the information that can be obtained from viewing one of these graphs. List two types of graphs for two-variable data and write about the information that can be obtained form one of these graphs.
7.1 Teaching
By the end of the second grade, students should be able to organize and display their data through both graphical displays and numerical summaries. They should use counts, tallies, tables, bar graphs, and line plots.
NCTM Standards 2000, page 109
NCTM’s Standards 2000 recommends the teaching of data collection and graphing of data beginning in the early grades. Select a grade level from K-4 and describe three different data collection activities appropriate for that level. Discuss how the students might collect the data and what graphs they might form. Make up one data collection sample, graph it, and list some of the questions you would ask the students to help them learn about the information shown by the graph.
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