Curricular Unit: Using MS Excel to Analyze Real Life Data Economics 553 Assignment #3 Summary: This lesson involves the use of Microsoft Excel to analyze real life data. The approach used in teaching this lesson is based on the notion that students learn best by doing. Students will gather some real life data by measuring their own heights and weights and recording the information in an MS worksheet. Students will then analyze the data in MS Excel to see how height relates to weight. Summary: This lesson involves the use of Microsoft Excel to analyze real life data. The approach used in teaching this lesson is based on the notion that students learn best by doing. Students will gather some real life data by measuring their own heights and weights and recording the information in an MS worksheet. Students will then analyze the data in MS Excel to see how height relates to weight. By Fadel Sesay

Objective At the end of this lesson students will be able to: find the average of a set of numbers in MS Excel graph the relationship between two variables write formulas to do simple arithmetic operations in Excel convert from inches to feet

Requirements for this Activity basic arithmetic skills basic knowledge of MS Excel an understanding of the metric system ability to use the Internet (required only for electronic textbook referencing) access to a computer with Internet access (required only for electronic textbook referencing) a scale for measuring weight and a tape for measuring height

Student Activity This activity is expected to take five class periods or one week. Day 1: Overview of MS Excel brief overview of Excel This site offers a tutorial on getting started with Excel: entering text and numbers in a worksheet, saving and printing. Go over some of the basic things students need to know in order to complete this exercise. Duration of Activity:

Student Activity (Contd.) Each student will weigh himself/herself and measure his/her height and four other students and then record the data in an Excel worksheet like the one shown below. This will probably take some time, depending on the class size. Open up MS Excel and create the following workbook

Student Activity (Contd.) Write your name and the names of those on whom you will gather data in the name column of your Excel workbook. At home, spend a couple of hours practicing how to use Excel and how to make a simple Excel workbook like the one we made in class. If you need help on how to create the worksheet, visit the following web site and click on Getting Started. NOTE: if you don’t have a computer at home use the school or public library. Weigh yourself on a scale and enter your weight (in pounds) in the Excel worksheet. Find a partner and have him/her measure your height (in inches) and enter the data in the worksheet. Record the weight and height of four other people in your workbook.

Student Activity (Contd.) Your recorded data will look like the following: Day 2: Measuring and Recording Data

Student Activity (Contd.) Next, add a new column to your worksheet starting from cell E1 and name it HEIGHT (in Feet). Create a formula to convert the first person’s height from inches to feet. The formula should look like =(D4/12), which means divide the contents of cell D4 by 12 (since 12 inches = 1 foot). Repeat the formula for the other names (persons) in your workbook to calculate the corresponding weights. You can use AutoFill to copy the formula to the other cells. Spend a couple of hours practicing by yourself at home or in the library. For help on entering formulas in Excel, visit the following web site:

Student Activity (Contd.) Day 3: Calculating Averages and Checking Result Type AVERAGE at the bottom of the Name Column in your workbook. At the bottom of the WEIGHT column (in the AVERAGE row) enter a formula to calculate the average weight for the persons on your list. For example, =average(c4:c8). At the bottom of the HEIGHT column (in the AVERAGE row) enter a formula to calculate the average height for the persons on your list. For example, =average(d4:d8). Manually calculate the above averages to check the results you got using Excel.

Student Activity (Contd.) Your workbook should now look like the following:

Outside of class, visit the following web site to learn more about some of the practical applications of Excel. Spend about two hours on this. Assignment: Using the year 200 calendar, enter the number of days for each month, finding the total number days in the year 200 and the average number of days in a month by creating formulas in Excel in an Excel worksheet. (1 hour) Student Activity (Contd.) This site offers a tutorial on how to use Excel in a variety of business applications.

Student Activity (Contd.) Day 4: Filtering the Data Select all the data in your workbook, including the column headings. On the menu bar, click on Data, select Filter, and choose AutoFilter. A small box with an arrow will appear at the lower right hand corner of each top cell.

Student Activity (Contd.) To filter for the female data, in the FEMALE/MALE column, click on the small box and a menu will appear.

Student Activity (Contd.) Select F from the menu and your worksheet will now show only the female data, like the following:

Student Activity (Contd.) You may copy and paste the female data into a separate worksheet to have a separate data set for the females. Outside of class, practice filtering the data for males. Click on the filter box in the FEMALE/MALE column, and select All. The entire data will reappear.

Student Activity (Contd.) Day 5: Graphing the Data To graph the weight and height data together, select the NAME column, hold down the Ctrl key and select the WEIGHT column then the HEIGHT column. Click on Insert on the menu bar and select Chart. The chart wizard will appear. Select the chart type and click Next and then Finish.

Student Activity (Contd.) Plot separate charts for the Male and female data sets, respectively, by yourself.