Studying Bivariate Data 

Math 9 Formative Assessment 

Task: 
 
You may select from one of the following two data sets to complete this assignment. You will complete 
the sections of the graphic organizer (below) to ​analyze​ the data and show i​ nsightful interpretations 
of what the data means. 
 
Data Set #11 This data set studies the effects of urbanization of stream and watershed ecosystems. You 
will compare ​column 2 (% imperv. area) a ​ nd ​column 12 (Total BIBI score).​ This is a comparison of 
impervious area vs biotic integrity. In other words, this data considers impervious area as a measure of 
development (how urbanized an area is) and how that impacts the biodiversity of that same area. 
 
Data Set #22 This data set studies how the input of heat to a power plant will correlate to the amount of 
CO​2​ that the po​http://resources.seattlecentral.edu/qelp/sets/014/s014.pdf​wer plant produces. You will 
compare c ​ olumn 2 (Plant annual heat input) a ​ nd ​column 3 (Plant annual CO​2​ emissions).​ This is a 
comparison of how much heat (energy) is put into the power plant and the CO​2​ output, which can be 
used as a way to measure the “pollution efficiency” of a power plant. 
 

Criterion C: communicating 
Level 1-2  Level 3-4  Level 5-6  Level 7-8 

i. Use​ limited  i. Use​ some  i. Usually ​use  i. Consistently ​use 

mathematical  appropriate  appropriate  appropriate 
language.  mathematical  mathematical  mathematical 
ii. Use​ limited forms  language.  language.  language. 
of mathematical  ii. Use​ appropriate  ii. Usually ​use  ii. Use​ appropriate 
representation to  forms of  appropriate forms  forms of 
present  mathematical  of mathematical  mathematical 
information.  representation to  representation to  representation to 
iii. Communicate  present  present information  consistently present 
through lines of  information  correctly.  information 
reasoning that are  adequately.  iii. Usually move  correctly. 
difficult to  iii. Communicate  between different  iii. Move effectively 
understand.  through lines of  forms of  between different 
reasoning that are  mathematical  forms of 
complete.  representation.  mathematical 
iv. Adequately  iv. Communicate  representation. 
organize  through lines of  iv. Communicate 
information using  reasoning that are  through lines of 
a logical structure.   complete and  reasoning that are 
coherent.   complete, coherent 
v. Present​ work that  and concise. 
is usually organized  v. Present​ work that 
using a logical  is consistently 
structure.  organized using a 
logical structure. 

1
​Kleindl, William J. 1995. A Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity for Puget Sound Lowland Streams, Washington, USA.
Thesis submitted for a Master of Science degree at the University of Washington in Seattle. Retrieved from:
http://resources.seattlecentral.edu/qelp/sets/077/077.html.
2
​US Environmental Protection Agency. (1997). Emissions and Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID).
Retrieved from: http://resources.seattlecentral.edu/qelp/sets/014/014.html.
Criterion D: applying maths in real world contexts 
Level 1-2  Level 3-4  Level 5-6  Level 7-8 

i. Identify​ some of  i. Identify​ the  i. Identify​ the  i. Identify​ the 

the elements of the  relevant elements  relevant elements  relevant elements 
authentic real-life  of the authentic  of the authentic  of the authentic 
situation.  real-life situation.  real-life situation.  real-life situation. 
ii. Apply  ii. Select,​ with some  ii. Select​ adequate  ii. Select​ adequate 
mathematical  success, adequate  mathematical  mathematical 
strategies to find a  mathematical  strategies to model  strategies to model 
solution to the  strategies to  the authentic  the authentic 
authentic real-life  model the  real-life situation.  real-life situation. 
situation, with  authentic real-life  iii. Apply​ the selected  iii. Apply​ the selected 
limited success.  situation.  mathematical  mathematical 
  iii. Apply  strategies to reach  strategies to reach 
mathematical  a valid solution to  a correct solution to 
strategies to reach  the authentic  the authentic 
a solution to the  real-life situation.  real-life situation.  
authentic real-life  iv. Explain​ the degree  iv. Justify​ the degree 
situation.  of accuracy of the  of accuracy of the 
iv. Discuss ​whether  solution.  solution. 
the solution makes  v. Explain​ whether the  v. Justify​ whether the 
sense in the  solution makes  solution makes 
context of the  sense in the context  sense in the context 
authentic real-life  of the authentic  of the authentic 
situation.  real-life situation.  real-life situation. 

Your Work Begins Here 

 
I choose Data Set # 2 
 
Identify​ the two variables that are being compared in this data. Which is the independent variable 
and which is the dependent variable? (Minimum 2 sentences) 

The data is comparing annual plant heat input and annual plant CO2 emission. And independent 
variable is annual plant heat input, dependent variable is annual plant CO2 emission. 

Select​ a Global Context and e

​ xplain​ how this data relates to that Global Context. (minimum 4 
sentences) 

Emissions and Generation Resource Integrated Database. I think this data related to global context. 
It about resource power plant which is important for power. This data tell us that on each place in 
1997, it tell us about plant annual heat input, and plant annual CO2 emissions In United State.  
Predict​ what kind of correlation you will find when you graph this data and ​explain​ why you think it 
will be that type of correlation. (Minimum 2 sentences) 

I think that the correlation ship will be each place that compare between plant annual heat input, and 
plant annual CO2 emissions. So that they know the amount of 2 valuable in each place. And I think 
that it related to each other because it the same valuable. I think it also depend on type of power 
plant too. 
 

Now use Google Sheets to ​create​ a scatterplot of your data. ​Insert​ your graph with a trendline here. 

Plant annual CO2 emissions (tons) 

Plant 
annual heat input (MMBTU) 

​ ​2 ​value​? What does your R​2​ value tell you about your 
What is the ​equation​ of the trendline and the R
equation? (Minimum 2 sentences) 

Equation of trendline is 0.0584x + 50306 and equation of R2 value is 0.0584x + 50306 R2 = 0.866. if the 
R2 number is small, it means the graph is really fit on the line. 
 

Based on your trendline, What ​predictions​ or inferences can you make about your data? Provide an 
expected value AND ​justify​ your prediction. (Minimum 4 sentences) 
 I think that the higher plant annual heat input is, the higher co2 emissions will be. Because if they was 
no plant annual heat, they will be no emissions. So emissions based on annual heat. So we can say 
that the higher plant annual heat input is, the more co2 emissions will be produce and it’s very for 
earth and human us. And it depend on the type of power plant too. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Why might someone choose to study this data?​ In other words, what makes this interesting data 
to study? What information or deeper understanding does it provide? (Minimum 4 sentences) 

I think that this data will be useful for people that are trying to study about power, because this kind 
of power going to be pollution to world. So if they know the amount they can calculate the effect that 
this power will make to our world. I think that this data can show us that some place have too much 
power plant and it cost too much heat input on that place. And how much emissions that it have, if 
there was too much emissions, it will be effect world. So I think it important for scientist and people 
that is trying to solve climate action. 

What could you ​recommend as a follow-up study​? I.e.: How could your conclusions be used to help 
people make decisions or to create a new study? (Minimum 3 sentences) 

I think this data will help people see that we are damaging the world so much. And this data was 
from 1997, and now it 2018. For sure the amount of co2 now will be double because people are now 
using so much power and make a lot of pollution. Maybe people that are helping world can use this 
to learn what kind of plant power cost the most. And which one is the less cost, so the less cost will be 
good for it or not. Why or why not?. They can make many question from 1 data and it very useful for 
teaching other people too.