1. Using the Statistics Canada website for your MDM4U Culminating Project
Joel Yan and Jennifer Hall
Statistics Canada

2. Begin by reading about your topic
The Daily
Statistics Canada's online newsletter that provides new information every weekday
Over articles with links to detailed data
Write down the CANSIM table numbers
Statistics by Subject
Over analytical articles from our data experts

4. Browse Summary tables to find data that interest you
over 500 tables of up-to-date info
usually five years of data
links to more detailed data on E-STAT (write down the CANSIM table #)
links to related Daily articles, publications, and surveys

5. Summary Table Example: Beverages

6. Explore the same data in depth using E-STAT
Enormous database for students and teachers, containing Census and CANSIM data
CANSIM: over 36 million time series from different surveys
e.g., average annual consumption of hundreds of foods, including beer
Possible research question: How has beer consumption changed over the last 40 years in Canada?

8. Look for a related factor and extract this series from E-STAT
What could help explain changes in average beer consumption in Canada?

10. Use Fathom or Excel to analyze this relationship

11. Use individual case data for in-depth analysis
Download the following microdata files from the math data page:
2001 Census
1991 Census
National Longitudinal Survey on Children and Youth (16-17 year olds)
Joint Canada/US Survey of Health

12. Data analysis using microdata
Analysis question:
What is the impact of the number of years of schooling on income?

13. Years of schooling vs. income

14. Income by age for high school graduates

15. Income by age for university graduates

16. Results from this analysis
The more years of schooling, the higher the average income
Completing university allows for more growth in income with age

17. A useful resource: Finding and Using Statistics

18. A useful resource: Finding and Using Statistics
Find this resource by clicking on the Help button on the homepage

19. Another helpful website www.teacherweb.com/on/statistics/math

20. Supports for data projects
Over 20 exemplary student projects
Sample student surveys and results
Additional datasets not yet on the website
Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children
Ontario Youths
Technology Use

21. Help with creating your own survey
Statistics: Power from Data! provides tips on questionnaire design
See more than 200 questionnaires under ‘Definitions, data sources and methods’ on the Statistics Canada homepage (

22. Statistics: Power from Data!

23. For more assistance: