Excel Activity

Activity: Scatterplots

Download: Scatterplots.xls (right click to save, left click to open)

Overview: As the user enters ordered pairs, the spreadsheet graphs a scatterplot, creates a line of best fit, and displays its equation (in linear or polynomial form).

Instructions:

Open the spreadsheet to be seen by the entire class, or have individual students open it at their own computers.
This worksheet is used to create a scatterplot and best fit line.
Worksheet 1 is for linear equations. Worksheet 2 is for 2nd degree polynomial equations. Worksheet 3 is for 3rd degree polynomial equations.
Have the students begin by entering their data in the table, up to 21 entries. This could be canned data, or from experiments or measurements done by the students (example - height of student versus circumference of head).
As they enter their data, the points will be plotted and the best fit line will be drawn, with its equation displayed above the graph.
Have the students consider the following:
- Notice the effect on the line as you add more data. Is the change more dramatic when you have a lot of data already, or just a little?

What happens when you add an "outlier" point?

This is a good way to make quick and easy scatterplots and lines of best fit, while investigating the effect of adding new data.

Standards (Ohio Academic Content Standards):

Math - Grade 8 - Data Analysis and Probability
- #1 - Use, create and interpret scatterplots and other types of graphs as appropriate.
- #6 - Make conjectures about possible relationship in a scatterplot and approximate line of best fit.
Math - Grade 9 - Data Analysis and Probability
- #2 - Create a scatterplot for a set of bivariate data, sketch the line of best fit, and interpret the slope of the line of best fit.
Math - Grade 10 - Data Analysis and Probability
- #2 - Represent and analyze bivariate data using appropriate graphical displays (scatterplots, parallel box-and-whisker plots, histograms with more than one set of data, tables, charts, spreadsheets) with and without technology.
- #6 - Interpret the relationship between two variables using multiple graphical displays and statistical measures; e.g., scatterplots, parallel box-and-whisker plots, and measures of center and spread.
Math - Grade 11 - Data Analysis and Probability
- #4 - Create a scatterplot of bivariate data, identify trends, and find a function to model the data.

Email us (tech@northcanton.sparcc.org) with comments, suggestions, and submissions
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