This is a level 4 measurement strand activity from the Figure It Out series.
A PDF of the student activity is included.
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use simple scales to describe qualitative data
FIO, Level 4, Measurement, Book One, Scale of Events, pages 18-19
classmate
In this activity, the students are asked to place various events on a 5-point scale measuring their seriousness. The activity could be introduced with a discussion about what constitutes a disaster and what doesn’t, or the students could be given the chance to get right into the task and discover the issues for themselves, with
the class discussion coming later.
Whether we view an event as a disaster or not depends on a personal assessment that is itself based on a complex mix of factors including:
Students need to be accepting of the fact that others may view a particular event very differently for reasons that are valid for them.
Activity One and Activity Two both involve qualitative scales as distinct from quantitative scales. The notes for Energy Crises (page 1) explain the difference between these two kinds of scale. The students need to clearly understand the distinction.
The questions in Activity Two ask the students to explore placing the same data set on different qualitative scales and then to evaluate the scales. Answers will vary, but they are likely to find that:
Discipline Dilemmas (Statistics: Book One, Figure It Out, Years 7–8), explores the way in which the scale used can affect the conclusions drawn.
Social Studies
This activity could be used as part of a unit on disasters.
Achievement Objectives
Demonstrate knowledge and understandings of:
Activity One
1. a. Answers will vary.
b. Explanations will vary. Factors you might take into account include:
2. Discussion may include these points:
Activity Two
1.–3. Results will vary.
Printed from https://meaningfulmaths.nt.edu.au/mmws/nz/resource/scale-events at 10:32pm on the 26th February 2024