StartTaskProcessLinksAdviceAssessEnd T The Award Goes to… Data, Graphs, and Statistics By Melanie Metze

StartTaskProcessLinksAdviceAssessEnd T Start Each state contributes in a unique way to our country. Some are famous for tourism, others for farming, and others for big businesses. What can data and statistics tell us about each state? In this Webquest, you will apply your knowledge of data and statistics to promote a state of your choice.

StartTaskProcessLinksAdviceAssessEnd T Task The President of the United States is offering a mass amount of money to one state that receives the “Best State of the Year” award. Your task is to convince the senators, representatives, and President through a brochure that your state should receive the award and thus, the money.

StartTaskProcessLinksAdviceAssessEnd T Process 1. You and your partner will pick a state. Each partner will work equally on each aspect of the Webquest. 2. First, you will research different types of graphs that may not have been covered during the unit. You will then use the information researched to write a paragraph on the new graphs you discovered and what may be the advantage of using one of these graphs. 3. Next, you will use the Internet to research your state. Your research is primarily geared toward finding data and statistics that will help prove that your state is best. When researching, look for population and population growth figures high school and college graduation figures business and employment figures climate figures crime rates gas and energy prices

StartTaskProcessLinksAdviceAssessEnd T Process 4.You may also want to research briefly the history of your state. 5.Then you will put the data and statistics you find into spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel. You will need to make at least one bar graph, one line graph, one circle graph, and analyze one set of data to find the mean, median, mode, range, and interquartile range. Be sure the data is displayed via the most appropriate graph or chart. Save your spreadsheets to a disk. 6.You will then make a brochure using Microsoft Publisher demonstrating the unique traits and prominent features of the state. You will incorporate all the graphs you made using Excel and the analyzed data into the brochure. In a caption for each graph, write one or two sentences describing how the graph shows your state is best. You are not limited to three graphs; you may incorporate any other kind of graph you wish. You may also incorporate pictures, symbols, or stories describing the state. Be creative! Save the brochure to disk and print.

StartTaskProcessLinksAdviceAssessEnd T Process 7.You and your partner will present your brochure to the class and to another teacher- acting as the President. After all presentations, the “President” teacher will choose which state receives the “Best State of the Year” award.

StartTaskProcessLinksAdviceAssessEnd T Links Background Information on Graphs Types of Graphs Click on types of graphs State Statistics US Census Bureau Home Page (do not enter a city to receive info about just the state) *This whole website provides plentiful statistics in many areas!* Official Energy Statistics from the US Government US Department of Labor (click on your state, then click on Economy at a Glance Table)

StartTaskProcessLinksAdviceAssessEnd T Links Federal Statistics (similar to US Census page) GOOGLE search engine (type in state name and look for official state website) State History Grolier Online Encyclopedia

StartTaskProcessLinksAdviceAssessEnd T Advice Do not get bogged down in extensive data tables. Pick data and statistics that you understand. If you wish to use a graph (like the box- and-whisker plot) that is not available on Excel, you can print the brochure and draw the graph by hand.

StartTaskProcessLinksAdviceAssessEnd T Assess You and your partner will receive the same grade. I will use the following rubric: Content of Webquest (70 points total) Paragraph on new graphs (10 points) Brochure (50 points, 10 points/point) Bar, line, and circle graph used correctly and appropriately Mean, median, mode, range, and interquartile range used correctly (in a chart) Captions interpreting each graph and chart Incorporates brief history of state Creativity (pictures, symbols, etc) Spreadsheets (10 points) Used correct formulas Used spreadsheet correctly Presentation (30 points total) Both group members speak Uses time: 5-7 minutes Covers material convincingly This assignment is worth a total of 100 points and will count as your test grade for this unit.

StartTaskProcessLinksAdviceAssessEnd T You have learned throughout this unit ways to collect and display data. In this Webquest, you have linked geography to mathematics by analyzing data and statistics on a state. Statistics can give us plenty of useful information, but they cannot truly describe the individuality of each state. We must remember that all states have unique qualities and if there ever existed a “Best State of the Year” award, every state would win!

StartTaskProcessLinksAdviceAssessEnd T Teacher Information Melanie Metze Newberry College