Modelling statistical investigations

Select a question of general interest where data:

• can be readily gathered

• will be reliable

• will lend itself to profitable investigation.

Plan the collection of appropriate data (random, fair and representative). You may wish to supply recording templates.

Discuss and identify a range of appropriate representations and summaries. Students should be made aware of the reason why some forms may be inappropriate. This serves to review the specific features of various forms of representation and types of summaries.

At this initial stage, analysis and subsequent inferences are best undertaken as a class. Students could share ideas and determine the validity or otherwise of their conclusions.

As a group, students could write reports based on class discussion, supported by sentence starters, dot points or report templates.