State population projections
http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L239
A lesson plan for grades 3–5 Mathematics
In this activity, students examine the United States Census Bureau Web site to investigate projections of the total population of states from 1995-2025. Using the provided data, students will analyze statistics from five states of their choice, develop specific research questions using the data, and create three graphs to compare and contrast the information. Illuminations provides links to the US Census, an activity sheet, and detailed instructions for completing the lesson.
Students will:
- Formulate questions, construct data tables, and display the relevant data in a graph.
- Justify their conclusions and design further studies based on their information.
NCTM Standards and Expectations:
- Design investigations to address a question and consider how data-collection methods affect the nature of the data set.
- Use measures of center, focusing on the median, and understand what each does and does not indicate about the data set.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
Mathematics (2004)
Grade 3
- Goal 4: Data Analysis and Probability - The learner will understand and use data and simple probability concepts.
- Objective 4.01: Collect, organize, analyze, and display data (including circle graphs and tables) to solve problems.
Grade 4
- Goal 4: Data Analysis and Probability - The learner will understand and use graphs, probability, and data analysis.
- Objective 4.01: Collect, organize, analyze, and display data (including line graphs and bar graphs) to solve problems.
Grade 5
- Goal 4: Data Analysis and Probability - The learner will understand and use graphs and data analysis.
- Objective 4.01: Collect, organize, analyze, and display data (including stem-and-leaf plots) to solve problems.
- Objective 4.02: Compare and contrast different representations of the same data; discuss the effectiveness of each representation.
