Mathematics Vision Project
Module 8: Modeling Data
Statistics come front and center in this unit all about analyzing discrete data. Real-world situations yield data sets that the class then uses to tease out connections and conclusions. Beginning with the basic histogram and...
Curated OER
Describing Data
Your learners will practice many ways of describing data using coordinate algebra in this unit written to address many Common Core State Standards. Simple examples of different ways to organize data are shared and then practice problems...
Mathematics Vision Project
Modeling Data
Is there a better way to display data to analyze it? Pupils represent data in a variety of ways using number lines, coordinate graphs, and tables. They determine that certain displays work with different types of data and use two-way...
American Statistical Association
What Fits?
The bounce of a golf ball changes the result in golf, mini golf—and a great math activity. Scholars graph the height of golf ball bounces before finding a line of best fit. They analyze their own data and the results of others to better...
EngageNY
Modeling Relationships with a Line
What linear equation will fit this data, and how close is it? Through discussion and partner work, young mathematicians learn the procedure to determine a regression line in order to make predictions from the data.Â
Radford University
Modeling Statistical Data
Can people predict the number of future divorces? Scholars research and analyze data on the number of divorces and teenage pregnancies in Virginia over time. They use the data to create graphs, determine the best-fit equations, and make...
Virginia Department of Education
Curve of Best Fit
Which function models the data best? Pupils work through several activities to model data with a variety of functions. Individuals begin by reviewing the shapes of the functions and finding functions that will fit plotted data points. By...
Illustrative Mathematics
Foxes and Rabbits 3
Model periodic populations. Here, in the context of foxes and rabbits, pupils look at graphs of the populations of these animals in a national park over a span of 24 months. Groups analyze the graphs and determine trigonometric functions...
Virginia Department of Education
Linear Curve of Best Fit
Is foot length to forearm length a linear association? The class collects data of fellow scholars' foot length and the length of their forearms. They plot the data and find a line of best fit. Using that line, they make predictions of...
Teach Engineering
The Challenge Question
A research position becomes a modeling job. The introductory lesson in a series of nine presents the challenge of analyzing a set of bivariate data. The class brainstorms what the data may represent. Pupils must decide what is needed to...
EngageNY
More on Modeling Relationships with a Line
How do you create a residual plot? Work as a class and in small groups through the activity in order to learn how to build a residual plot. The activity builds upon previous learning on calculating residuals and serves as a precursor to...
Virginia Department of Education
Logarithmic Modeling
Explore logarithms and logarithmic regression. Young mathematicians first learn about inverse functions and about the logarithm function family. They take their newfound knowledge to use logarithmic functions to model situations and...
Curated OER
In the Billions and Linear Modeling
Your learners analyze population data to discern if it best fits a linear scenario. The idea of change by equal differences over equal intervals is enforced in this real-life task.Â
Virginia Department of Education
Exponential Modeling
Investigate exponential growth and decay. A set of six activities has pupils collecting and researching data in a variety of situations involving exponential relationships. They model these situations with exponential functions and solve...
Shodor Education Foundation
Regression
How good is the fit? Using an interactive, classmates create a scatter plot of bivariate data and fit their own lines of best fit. The applet allows pupils to display the regression line along with the correlation coefficient. As a final...
American Statistical Association
EllipSeeIt: Visualizing Strength and Direction of Correlation
Seeing is believing. Given several bivariate data sets, learners make scatter plots using the online SeeIt program to visualize the correlation. To get a more complete picture of the topic, they research their own data set and perform an...
Statistics Education Web
Text Messaging is Time Consuming! What Gives?
The more you text, the less you study. Have classes test this hypothesis or another question related to text messages. Using real data, learners use technology to create a scatter plot and calculate a regression line. They create a dot...
Education Development Center
Creating a Polynomial Function to Fit a Table
Discover relationships between linear and nonlinear functions. Initially, a set of data seems linear, but upon further exploration, pupils realize the data can model an infinite number of functions. Scholars use multiple representations...
Radford University
Can I Create a Line/Curve of Best Fit to Model Water Drainage?
Learners collect data on the amount of water left in a bottle over time. They graph the data to determine whether the scatter plot shows a curved or straight relationship. Group members then determine an equation for the curve of best...
Radford University
Tuition Cost Activity
Can I afford to go to college? Small groups design a method to research college tuition for several years and make a prediction of costs in 2025. Classmates plot the the data on a scatter plot and graph the line of best fit to make their...
American Statistical Association
Bubble Trouble!
Which fluids make the best bubbles? Pupils experiment with multiple fluids to determine which allows for the largest bubbles before popping. They gather data, analyze it in multiple ways, and answer analysis questions proving they...
Beyond Benign
Scale the Wall
How can you fit an entire school on one sheet of paper? You use scale! Scholars measure rooms in the school and, using the correct scale, design a floor plan that includes area calculations with their data.
Curated OER
Logistic Growth Model, Explicit Version
Via the concrete setting of estimating the population of the US, your algebra learners are introduced to a logistic growth model. Comparing and contrasting logistic, exponential, linear and quadratic models, to see which fits the data...
Virginia Department of Education
Quadratic Curve of Best Fit
Class members create a table of the number of chords that can be drawn given the number of points on a circle. Pupils analyze the data created, find a function to fit to it, and use the function to make further predictions.