Data Analysis Notes

4 Steps to do Statistical Analysis:

1. Formulate questions that can be answered with data
2. Design and use a plan to collect relevant data.
3. Analyze the data with appropriate methods.
4. Interpret results and draw valid conclusions from the
data that relate to the questions posed.
Four essential understandings for statistics:
Data is collected and organized in order to answer
questions.
Data is represented to visually show information.
Data can be organized in different graphical formats to
emphasize different information.
Graphs give a sense of the shape of the data the big
picture/characteristics of the whole.
Experience these concepts within three types of
investigations:
Make sense of practical problems by turning them into
statistical investigations (CCSS.MP1)
Move from context to abstraction and back to context
(CCSS.MP2)
Repeat the process of statistical reasoning in a variety of
contexts (CCSS.MP8)
Use Practice/Process Learning Progressions to go deeper
at each grade level:
Mathematical Practices/Processes:
Levels of Justification (Reasoning and Proof SOL)
Development of Problem Solving Strategies (Problem
Solving SOL)
Levels of Representation (Representation SOL)
Development of Word Knowledge (Communication SOL)

Important Vocabulary for analyzing and describing the shape

of the data:
measures of center:
o mean average balance point, fair share
o median average middle data point
o mode average most repeated/common data
value
measures of spread:
o cluster
o peak
o gap
o symmetry
o skew
o outlier
o range
Types of graphical representations (PreK-6):