This unit involves students using existing data and data displays to investigate areas of interest in relation to gender, education, employment, and income (or other topics of interest), before presenting their findings.
- Identify an area of interest to investigate.
- Find data displays including graphs, tables, and non-traditional data representations, that can inform the investigation e.g. from websites and other sources.
- Explore the information behind the data displays to make sense of the data and use it to explore an area of interest.
- Interpret, analyse and use data displays.
- Discuss features of a data display.
- Communicate findings.
This is an open unit allowing students to investigate topics that are of particular interest to them. Ideally this unit would be used as part of an integrated unit connected to social studies, science, or English. Throughout this unit, the following key New Zealand websites, that provide data to the public, are utilised and explored.
StatsNZ | Tatauranga Aotearoa (https://www.stats.govt.nz/)
Stats NZ | Tatauranga Aotearoa collects information from people and organisations and uses the information to publish insights and data about New Zealand.
Good starting places for ideas include:
- Infographics
- 2018 Census map gallery
- Statistics by topic
- 2018 Census place summaries
- Wellbeing data for New Zealanders
Figure.NZ (https://figure.nz/)
On Figure.NZ you can find and use figures (graphs) about our country, for free.
Use the search tool or the “or explore” button for specific topics. Topics include education, employment, health, people, travel.
The search tool can be used by typing in key words e.g. gender and employment
Selected graphs can be explored. Click on a graph to explore further – information about the data and related content is given. Students can select displays that relate to their area of interest.
The learning opportunities in this unit can be differentiated by providing or removing support to students and by varying the task requirements. Ways to support students include:
- giving suggested web links to explore for some topics
- providing prompts and questions to help students productively explore the web links
- providing prompts for writing descriptive statements
- organising groups of students to include a mix of levels of mathematical confidence and knowledge to encourage peer learning, scaffolding, extension, and the sharing of ideas
- providing multiple opportunities for students to share their ideas, ask questions, clarify thinking, and contribute to discussion in a range of whole-class, small-group, peer-to-peer, and teacher-student settings
- providing teacher support at all stages of the investigation.
The context for this unit can be adapted to suit the interests and experiences of your students. For example:
- the statistical enquiry process can be applied to many topics and selecting ones that are of interest to your students should always be a priority. Whilst this activity focuses on gender, education, employment and income using the StatsNZ | Tatauranga Aotearoa and Figure.NZ websites as the main sources of data; other areas can also be explored.
Te reo Māori kupu such as tūhuratanga tauanga (statistical investigation), raraunga (data), taurangi (variable), tuaka (axis), and the names of specific graphs could be introduced in this unit and used throughout other mathematical learning.
- Internet access
- Copymaster 1 (project outline)
- Copymaster 2 (evaluation form)
Getting started
In preparation for this unit teachers should do some initial exploration of the StatsNZ | Tatauranga Aotearoa and Figure.NZ websites, and other relevant sources, to best introduce and engage their students in the chosen topic.
- Introduce the topic to be explored in this unit of work, and contextualise the unit in response to your current context.
For example: We have recently been learning about different careers and the pathways to them. As part of this, we are going to explore data around education and employment in New Zealand. - Ask the students to think about what statistics they might be able to find online about education and employment – ascertaining prior knowledge. Capture ideas on the board. If they do not have many ideas this is ok, we will add to the ideas after an initial exploration.
- Direct the students to explore a few (provided) web links with directed questions to answer about what they see. You might model accessing and exploring the websites to ensure students are able to use their time productively. Consider also whether you should provide all questions for your students, or whether they can develop some of their own. Modelling the development of questions might lead to students coming up with their own. The following questions are an example of what could be asked when exploring the given websites. The data presented on these sites is often quite complex and presented with technical, topic-specific language. Support your students to clarify unknown terms, and summarise and synthesise the information presented.
Stats NZ | Tatauranga Aotearoa
Where we live versus where we work (2018 Census Data)
Questions could include:
- Whose data was included in the maps on this web page?
- Which maps are included? Is our town/city included?
- What conclusions are given in the introduction?
- Does what you see in the maps the same as what the conclusion was in the introduction?
- New Zealand as a village of 100 people: Education and Employment (2018 Census Data)
Questions could include:- What topics are covered in the infographic?
- What occupation has the biggest number of people involved in it?
- How do the proportions of women and men’s median incomes change as the incomes get greater?
- The results presented in the infographic are based on what data?
- Can you think of two examples of why people might be classified as not in labour force?
Figure.NZ
- Employment rate in New Zealand by highest qualification
Questions could include:- What type of graph is this?
- When is the data from?
- What do the numbers on the x axis represent?
- What is the exact percentage for Level 1-3 certificate? (hover on the bars to get the value)
- How is the employment rate worked out?
- Roam and provide support to students during the exploration. Ask students to think about what they might like to explore more deeply.
- Bring the class back together. Add students' ideas, about the statistics they think they will be able to find online about education and employment, to the initial brainstorm.
Exploring
Over the next 2-3 sessions students will collate data displays to tell a story related to the area of interest they decided to explore.
They will present their findings in a format of their choice, e.g. a slide presentation, a poster, an infographic, a video. Encourage students to use a method of presentation that allows them to express their findings in a meaningful and engaging manner. This might be related to current learning in English. Provide students with the guidance around the main sections to include in their presentation (bolded below, see Copymaster 1).
- Refer to the brainstorming from the previous session. Have students in pairs choose an area of interest to explore further using New Zealand statistics.
- Get the students to make 2-3 statements regarding what they think they might find about their chosen topic. What are the pre-conceptions they have?
- Allow time in the first session to explore both the Stats NZ | Tatauranga Aotearoa and Figure.NZ websites, with the aim of identifying 3-5 different data displays to support their story about their area of interest.
- Students should copy the data displays into their presentation of their findings, including proper referencing of where the display came from – Figure.NZ has clear guidelines on this. You might use this as an opportunity to teach students about academic integrity, plagiarism, and referencing. Consider using a free referencing software and/or graphic organisers to make this task easier for students.
- Students should write a description of what the data shows under each data display. Ensure statements refer to the variable, the group (or years for time series) the data is about, any values or units. This might lead to opportunities for teaching around the analysis of specific types of graphs, measures of spread, outliers etc. Consider holding whole-class, small-group, and individualised teaching sessions to ensure your students understand the data they are looking at.
- Finally, students should write a concluding discussion on how the displays tell a story about the area of interest. This should refer back to their initial thoughts on what they might find. You might provide sentence starters or a paragraph structure for students to follow during this.
Reflection
Provide time for students to share their findings with the rest of the class. Each pair of students should have one other pair that they will critique and provide feedback on using given guidelines (you could develop these with the class).
Possible guidelines could include the following points (see Copymaster 2 – evaluation form):
- Did the choice of data displays reflect the area of interest? (always; often; sometimes; rarely; never)
- Were the descriptions of the data displays easy to understand? (always; often; sometimes; rarely; never)
- Were the descriptions of the data displays factually correct? (always; often; sometimes; rarely; never)
- How well did the data displays and descriptions support the story about the area of interest? (quite a bit; somewhat; a little; not at all)
Dear families and whānau,
This week we have been investigating data displays from the websites StatsNZ | Tatauranga Aotearoa and Figure.NZ. Your child has worked hard to create a presentation that describes what the data shows, and tells a story about an area of interest. It would be appreciated if you could view your child's presentation and come up with 3 questions about the data they have presented.