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Curriculum links
Mathematics, Statistics Strand - Level 5 and Level 7
Mathematics Achievement Standard 1.5 - Use straightforward statistical methods to explore data
Mathematics Achievement Standard 2.5 - Select a sample and make inferences from the data
Mathematics Achievement Standard S3.5 (draft) - Complete a statistical investigation involving bi-variate data
Background
Teachers need unit record datasets for the statistical investigations in the statistics strand of the curriculum. Statistics New Zealand does not release data for individual people or businesses. However, New Zealand is made up of 1,700 area units (suburbs), towns or rural areas with a mean population of about 2,200 people. You can use Table Finder/Table Builder to make case datasets where the cases are the area units. Then you can:
- explore each variable, with graphs (histograms) and calculations
- explore pairs of variables, with graphs ( scatterplots) and calculations
- create new variables (percentages etc) and explore them.
Ideally, your students would agree the purpose and scope of an investigation and use these to choose their variables and area units (eg those from their own region). The attached Excel workbook contains examples of datasets that you can make yourself, using the Table Builder software on the website.
- The Hamilton worksheet has records for 20 area units (suburbs) and suggestions for ways to explore the dataset.
- The NZ worksheet has records for 1,723 area units, and it is all yours to explore.
- The Cattle worksheet has a similar dataset using New Zealand's 17 regions as the cases from the 2002 Agricultural Production Census. This dataset was also made with Table Builder from the website.
The Excel workbook is provided for teachers who want to action objectives from Maths in the New Zealand Curriculum. The methods used and the conclusions reached are not intended to represent the practices of Statistics New Zealand.
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