Topic outline
General
Welcome to Exploring Data!
We live in a world that is immersed in data. The art and science of interpreting and collecting that data is called statistics, and this unit is an introduction to a statistics course. We will study some of the basic vocabulary using an online text, use Diigo to share websites, and use Google Docs to create a motion chart.
To get started, read and follow the directions in the documents below numbered 1 - 3.
Topic 1
Have you noticed the amazing ways that data can be presented to tell stories?
Complete the two assignments below to see how creative people are using statistics to tell stories.Topic 2
What are statistics and why are they important?
Photo Credit
The word statistics is used frequently. To begin a more formal study of statistics that can build the kinds of stories and displays you have just seen, it is important to define the words we use carefully. Let's begin by taking a first look at our online text. Complete the assignments below to get going!Topic 3
Words used to describe data
The purpose of this lesson is for you to become familiar with the basic vocabulary of data. Data is comprised of many different types of variables. Variables are the characters in a story told with data. The first step in interpreting or telling a data story is to understand the differences between the variable characteristics. Start with the Prezi in the link below.
Topic 4
Describing Bivariate Data
The purpose of this lesson is for you to become familiar with the basics of bivariate data so that you can create a motion chart like the one in the introduction.
Topic 5
Gapminder
Now that you know more about bivariate statistics, let's take another look at Gapminder. Gapminder is a graphical display of many different international statistics that can be animated over time. It is a very useful tool for comparisons between countries. You have already seen it used in the 200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 Minutes video from the first lesson. Now we will use it to make predictions and discuss correlations. To get started, open the Gapminder World link below and view the tutorial.Topic 6
Building a Motion Chart
The purpose of this lesson is for you to create your own motion chart using a Google spreadsheet. Check out the Google Help link and video tutorials below to learn how.
