Transport Trends

Statistical literacy is the ability to read and interpret data. Statistics provide the means to organise large amounts of data in such a way that it communicates meaning. However, by presenting statistical information in a simplified form, it is possible to manipulate or misinterpret it.
Statistical information is seen as adding weight to a discussion because it is thought to be scientific. People often accept statistics without asking how data has been gathered or whether crucial information has been left out. Students need to be able to intelligently evaluate and interpret the statistical information they will encounter in everyday life.
Statistics play an important role in town planning. Analysing existing trends leads to more effective decision making and targeted policy development.
In this activity, students conduct a class survey and interpret statistical results to make inferences about the modes of transport students use to get to school. The students are required to plan and carry out an investigation and report findings.

Activity

You may like to introduce this activity by encouraging your students to think about the different forms of transport available locally, how popular they are, and what impact they have on the environment.

Statistical Enquiry Cycle

Relate the questions in this activity to the statistical enquiry cycle (PPDAC). It is important to develop students’ statistical enquiry skills so they are aware of the decisions that need to be made when conducting an investigation and don’t simply follow steps as orchestrated by you as teacher.
Problem: What is it we are trying to find out? For example, how do students get to school and how far do they travel?
Plan: How will we collect and record the data needed to answer the questions in question 2?
Data: Collect and record data.
Analysis: Calculate the percentage of car trips that were less than 5 km and compare it with the corresponding percentage from the Auckland study.
Conclusion: Comment on the trends in Sina’s data (question 1) and the class data; compare the two sets of data; discuss possible reasons for differences.
Students could use the Internet (www.wises.co.nz) to find out how far away from school they live. Familiarise yourself with the website before asking the students to use it. It doesn’t matter if the website shows slightly different routes from those travelled by the students. Alternatively, give the students a map and ask them to use their ruler and the scale on the map to estimate what distance they travel to school.
Although students are not asked to display the results of their survey, they could do so. Creating visual representations of data develops the key competency using language, symbols, and texts.
Possible reasons why the students’ results may differ from Sina’s include, but are not limited to:

• The distance that students travel to get to school will be influenced by the catchment area of the school and whether the school is urban or rural.
• Sina’s survey is of adults. Year 5–8 students are too young to drive themselves to school.
• School buses are set up to take students directly to school. People travelling to work may not find buses as convenient so may be more likely to drive.

Support for English Language Learners

Supporting students with the language for making comparisons

Language Focus: Making comparisons using adjectives and using nouns
Some students may benefit from support with understanding and using language for making comparisons.
Before beginning the activity on page 20 of the student book, tell the students you are going to be comparing modes of transport used to get to work and school.
Explore the statistics for the number of people who drive and those who travel as passengers in cars. Ask the students to describe the statistics, prompting them to provide sentences comparing the two categories using nouns and adjectives, for example:
1. The percentage of people who drove in 1990 is higher than the percentage of people who were passengers.
2. The percentage of people who were passengers is lower than the percentage of people who drove.
3. In 1990, more people drove than were passengers in a car.
4. In 1990, fewer people were passengers in a car than drove a car.
Record the example sentences and underline the language used for making comparisons. Explain that adding -er and than is how we make comparisons with some adjectives. Co-construct more example sentences comparing the statistics, introducing the highest and the lowest.
Explore sentences 3 and 4 in the example above. Explain that we use more than and fewer than when we make comparisons with nouns. Note that we use less than rather than fewer than when the noun is uncountable. Co-construct more example sentences comparing the statistics and introducing most people.
Add another couple of examples and introduce sentences making comparisons between 1990 and 2008. Depending on the strengths and needs of your students, you could also introduce sentences with other adjectives such as popular and perhaps adverbials that further modify the meanings (for example, much more popular, far more popular, much less popular). You could put comparative forms of the adjectives onto a cline to illustrate the degrees they express (the least popular, less popular, popular, more popular, the most popular).
Have the students continue to discuss the trends in pairs and use the constructions above. If necessary, provide speaking frames like the ones below for some students to refer to.
The percentage of people who _____________ in _____________ is _____________ the percentage of people who _____________.
In _____________, _____________ people _____________ than _____________.
You may want to begin charts like the example below to help students understand and remember the rules for making comparisons with adjectives.

Technology-related student activities

• Debate the pros and cons of different modes of transport, or respond to starters such as “Nothing beats a bike” or “The 10 best things about the bus”.
• Research the development of a particular mode of transport, or a system within that mode, for example, sail development for ocean-going transport.
• Discuss what the world would be like if there were no cars.

Exploring the technology-related context

All forms of transportation need technology. Advances in transportation methods affect human interactions, for example, commerce and social relationships.
Many transportation techniques rely on fossil fuels. Increasing awareness of how these technologies affect the environment is leading some people to actively explore or use more sustainable alternatives.

Answers to activity

1. Answers will vary. Some possible trends are: in 2008, there are more people driving and fewer passengers in cars, so more cars are on the road; fewer people are walking, cycling, and using public transport.
2. Answers will vary.