Lesson Plan Title: Introduction to Statistical Analysis Project

Date: March 20th, 2018

Subject: Mathematics Grade: 9
Topic: Designing a statistical analysis project plan
Essential Question: What makes an effective project plan?

Materials:
- Whiteboard & markers
- Pencil
- Paper
- Computer - Excel
- Projector
- Handout (2 versions)

Stage 1- Desired Results – you may use student friendly language

What do they need to understand, know, and/or able to do?
Students will gain an understanding of how to design an effective project plan. This will include learning how
to prepare a research question, identify an applicable population and choose a sample, research and gather
data, analyze and display it, and evaluate their plan.
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to design a project plan in preparation for their statistical
analysis project in the following 3 lessons.

Broad Areas of Learning:

Developing Lifelong Learners – Students who are engaged in applying mathematical knowledge when
conducting research will be able to relate their findings to real life learning. Students will also develop
understandings of mathematics that will support further learning in new mathematical concepts that relate to
personal interests. They will do this by designing their own project plan on a topic which relates or interests
them.
Developing a Sense of Self and Community – This lesson allows students to work together to share and
evaluate their ideas and strategies when designing a project plan. Students can develop a deeper
understanding by learning from their peers and seeing different perspectives.
Developing Engaged Citizens – Students will learn more about their classmates as they develop and perform
surveys. They will become engaged citizens as they analyze the social impact of colonization in the following
lessons. They will look at trends within their classroom and connect them to society. They will develop a
greater respect for differing opinions as they ask their classmates questions.

Cross-Curricular Competencies:

Developing thinking – Students are challenged to think critically and creatively when developing their
individual design plan. They will use inquiry by asking their classmates questions to discover the appropriate
answer. They will experience mathematics in a real-world situation by asking relatable questions for their
project plan design, and will use mathematical and statistical concepts to analyze their data. They will reflect,
discuss, and resolve any potential problems with their project plan.
Developing Identity and Interdependence – All the ideas and abilities of students will be valued. Students will
have interactions and discussions with their classmates and give constructive feedback to one another.
Students will develop a responsibility for their own design projects. Students will also look at potential
problems in the design plan to make sure they are being appropriate and respectful.
Developing Literacies – Students will engage in developing their understandings of language in mathematics
and their ability to use it when they develop their project plans. They will make sense of this language
through practical application.
Developing Social Responsibility – Students will respectfully work together as a class with the teacher, as well
as in small groups. They will construct ideas and strategies together. Students will allow for different opinions
and perspectives when asking each other questions.

Outcome(s):
SP9.1 – Demonstrate understanding of the effect of:
 bias
 use of language
 ethics
 cost
 time and timing
 privacy
 cultural sensitivity and
 population or sample
on data collection.
SP9.2 – Demonstrate an understanding of the collection, display, and analysis of data through a project.

PGP Goals:
1.3 – a commitment to social justice and the capacity to nurture an inclusive and equitable environment for
the empowerment of all learners.
2.4 – Ability to use technologies readily, strategically and appropriately.
3.2 – The ability to use a wide variety of responsive instructional strategies and methodologies to
accommodate learning styles of individual learners and support theory growth as social, intellectual, physical
and spiritual beings.

Stage 2- Assessment

Assessment FOR Learning (formative) Assess the students during the learning to help determine next steps.

Students will be formatively assessed through their understanding of how to design a project plan. They will
need this understanding for the following 3 lessons where they design their own project plan. We will design
a mini project plan together during this class and I will be able to gauge their understanding through this and
by using questioning. I will formatively assess their understanding with the thumb exercise (thumbs up, down,
sideways). If there is an understanding, students will also work in groups to design a similar survey so I can
more easily see their understanding of the topic.

Assessment OF Learning (summative) Assess the students after learning to evaluate what they have learned.

There will be no summative assessment for this lesson. It leads into a statistical analysis project where they
will be formally assessed. The project will strengthen their understanding of this lesson. There will be no extra
work needed from students outside of class time for this lesson.
Stage 3- Learning Plan

Motivational/Anticipatory Set (introducing topic while engaging the students) (~8 minutes):

Bad survey example “Worst Questionnaire” (4 minutes) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10xflBGhQPM

Ask students:
- Was this an example of a good survey or a bad survey?
- Why was it bad?
- What did they interviewer do wrong? Did he do anything right?

Has anyone come to your door before and asked you to take part in a survey? Have you been stopped on the
street? Got a phone call? Taken an online survey?
- What did they ask you about?
- Was there something that stuck out in your mind as an odd question? Or a good question?

Main Procedures/Strategies (~50 minutes):

 Explain the 5 possible steps of creating a design plan (10 minutes):

 Put attached handout on screen. Have students fill in the blanks on the provided handout. Students
who need assistance are provided the completed handout.
1. Prepare a question – make sure the wording avoids biases, and be culturally sensitive.
 If the question is personal, the identity of the participants should be anonymous
2. Identify the population, and possibly choose a sample – if you select a sample, ensure it represents
the population.
 Consider the time and cost involved in collecting data from your population or sample.
3. Research and collect data – does the timing of your data collection avoid potential problems?
 Have students recall potential problems they learned in lesson 4. Ask students to list
some (bias, use of language, timing, privacy, cultural sensitivity, ethics, cost, time).
4. Analyze and display the data – choose an appropriate way to display data, such as a table, circle
graph, bar graph, or line graph.
 Look for trends in the data.
5. Design a rubric – evaluate and emphasize the important components of you project.
 Reflect on your results.
 Are the conclusions valid?

*Math Makes Sense 9 textbook can be used as a complimentary resource for discussions*

 Design a project plan together as a class – topic: favourite radio stations in the class (25 minutes):
 What are 4 radio stations that you listen to? Should we add an ‘other’ and ‘none’ section?
1. Question – ask for students’ help (sample question – what is your favourite radio station?)
 Ask students… is there a possible answer for all students?
o Is the question biased?
o Is the question sensitive to all cultures?
2. Population – what is the population?
 Would it take a long time to survey the population?
 Should we use a sample or a census?
 What is the sample method?
 3. Data collection – when and how will we collect data?
4. Analyze & display data – what was the favourite radio station?
 How will we display the data?
o I will use Excel to display the graph.
5. Evaluation – were there any problems when collecting data?
 Was our sample appropriate?
 Are our conclusions valid?

 Design a project plan in groups of 3-4 – make up own topic (15 minutes):
 Students will make up their own project plan design.
 They will survey the class only if there is time to do so.
 Once students have their plan, they can share with other groups and assess for potential
problems.
 They will hand in their project plan at the end of class.

Adaptations/Differentiation:
- Adaptations for this lesson will be made upon reflection of students’ understanding of the topic after
we work through a project together. If students understand, they will move onto making their own
project in groups. If they do not understand, we will work through another project design together as
a class, or as a small group while the others practice making their own.
- Students who have difficulties reading and writing will be provided a worksheet (attached below).
Other students will copy down the 5 steps (from projector – same handout) and put in their notes.

Closing of lesson (~2 minutes):

- Tomorrow, we will start our group projects for statistical analysis of the effects of colonization on
Indigenous peoples and culture.
- Think about an area you are interested in (health, education, judicial system, etc.).
- We will be using the design process we learned today.
- See you tomorrow!

M. Wilkinson ’16 *Adapted from Understanding by Design (McTighe and Wiggins, 1998)
 5 Steps to Project Plan Design – Mathematics 9

Statistics and Probability Handout #1

1. Prepare a question – make sure the wording avoids biases, and be culturally sensitive.

 If the question is personal, the identity of the participants should be anonymous

2. Identify the population, and possibly choose a sample – if you select a sample, ensure it

represents the population.

 Consider the time and cost involved in collecting data from your population or

sample.

3. Research and collect data – does the timing of your data collection avoid potential problems?

 Potential problems (recall from lesson 4) - bias, use of language, timing, privacy,

cultural sensitivity, ethics, cost, time.

4. Analyze and display the data – choose an appropriate way to display data, such as a table, circle

graph, bar graph, or line graph.

 Look for trends in the data.

5. Design a rubric – evaluate and emphasize the important components of you project.

 Reflect on your results.

 Are the conclusions valid?

 5 Steps to Project Plan Design – Mathematics 9

Statistics and Probability Handout #2

1. ________ __ ___________ – make sure the wording avoids biases, and be culturally sensitive.

 If the question is_____________, the identity of the participants should be

anonymous.

2. Identify the population, and possibly choose a sample – if you select a ___________, ensure it

represents the _______________.

 Consider the _______ ______ _________ involved in collecting data from your

population or sample.

3. _________ _____ ___________ data – does the timing of your data collection avoid potential

problems?

 Potential problems (recall from lesson 4) - ______, use of language, _______,

privacy, cultural sensitivity, _________, cost, time.

4. Analyze and display the data – choose an appropriate way to display data, such as a _______,

________ _________, bar graph, or ________ __________.

 Look for trends in the data.

5. Design a _________ – evaluate and emphasize the important components of you project.

 _________ on your results.

 Are the conclusions ______?

Reflection:

The lesson plan I developed is lesson 8 of 14 in my Mathematics 9, Statistics and Probability

unit. I chose this lesson because it is the buildup to the main assessment piece of the unit, the

statistical analysis project. It also incorporates information needed to answer some of the questions

from the unit test, which is the final assessment piece of this unit. My goal for this lesson is for

students to understand the steps needed to design a project plan, as well as the questions to ask to

diminish potential problems in their data collection.

This lesson plan covers two outcomes from the Saskatchewan curriculum. These include

demonstrating an understanding of the effect of bias, use of language, ethics, cost, time and timing,

privacy, cultural sensitivity, and population or sample on data collection (SP9.1), as well as

demonstrating an understanding of the collection, display, and analysis of data through a project

(SP9.2). In this lesson, students will be creating mini project plans in anticipation for the following

lessons where they will create a larger project plan and carry out the research.

There will be no summative assessment for this particular lesson, although it is essential for

formal assessment later on in the unit. Students will be formally assessed on their understanding of

this lesson through a few techniques. I will gauge their understanding by working through a project

plan together as a class, as well as asking them questions throughout the process. After the initial

explanation and we design a project plan together, I will use the thumb exercise (thumbs up, down,

sideways) to see how they measure their own understanding. Students will then work in small groups

to design their own mini project plans. If there is an area that they do not comprehend, I will take this

group of students aside and guide them through a plan. When students have completed their own

designs, they will converse with other groups, and evaluate and discuss each other’s work to see if

there are any potential problems. I will collect the designs at the end of class to reinforce my idea of
their understanding of the topic. I will provide feedback on these assignments and hand them back the

next day before they start their formal project.

My lesson is detailed in each step so it provides easy instruction for others to read. A completed

handout is attached for students who have difficulty taking notes, as well as a fill in the blanks handout

for other students. If my class contained exceptional learners who needed specific help, I would

provide this information in my lesson plan as well. This lesson provides a wide variety of instructional

strategies. For direct instruction I will use a combination video, structured overview, explicit teaching,

purposeful practice, didactic questions and demonstration. I start the lesson with a humourous short

video which gives an example of a bad survey. This will engage the students to move into the lesson, as

well as show them an embellished example of what they do not want to do. I would generally not

begin a lesson with a video that shows what not to do, however, they will understand the

ridiculousness behind the video and will laugh at how bad it is. For indirect instruction, I will

incorporate problem solving, concept formation, reflection, and concept attainment. Interactive

instruction is also used throughout this lesson. Brainstorming questions for their project plans,

partnering and discussion are some of the main uses of interactive instruction in this lesson. Many of

these instructional techniques are combined in certain areas of the lesson and come naturally with

what I have planned.

For my own professional growth, it is important for me to understand and be able to use

technologies readily (PGP 2.4) because I plan to make a graph on Excel using the data collected in class

during the first mini project plan design. I will also be instructing students in following lessons on how

to develop graphs on Excel. For this lesson, I also want to focus on using a wide variety of responsive

instructional strategies (PGP 3.2) as well. I think I can grow in this area from this lesson because of the
variety of instructional techniques that I mentioned earlier. One goal that is included in my end of unit

assessment is a commitment to social justice and the capacity to nurture an inclusive and equitable

environment for the empowerment of all learners (PGP 1.3). I think this is a very important goal to

strive towards because I believe classrooms should be empowering and inclusive for learners to have

their best possible educational experience. I will continue to work towards this goal, in addition to

others, to grow as an educator.