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Year 8

Constructing scatter graphs by utilising technology

I can construct scatter graphs from data presented in a number of different ways using technology.

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New
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Year 8

Constructing scatter graphs by utilising technology

I can construct scatter graphs from data presented in a number of different ways using technology.

Download all resources
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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Scatter graphs can be constructed quickly using spreadsheets.
  2. Scatter graphs can be constructed quickly using Desmos.
  3. Changing which axis is used for which variable affects how the scatter graph appears.

Keywords

  • Scatter graph - A visual representation for bivariate data. It can be useful when determining the nature of the relationship between the two variables

Common misconception

Pupils may struggle to assign the correct variable to the y-axis when graphing on a spreadsheet.

Explain that the word "series" is used to mean the y-axis in this software.

Pupils will need access to a computer and download copies of the data files for the lesson. The explanation slides may need to be adapted to suit which ever spreadsheet software pupils have access to (e.g. Excel).
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which two options below are examples of spreadsheet software?
Correct answer: Google Sheets
Google Docs
Correct answer: Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Power Point
Q2.
Which type of graph is a visual representation for bivariate data?
bar chart
pictogram
pie chart
Correct answer: scatter graph
Q3.
Which is another term to describe the response variable in bivariate data?
Correct answer: dependent variable
independent variable
explanatory variable
Q4.
Which two terms describe a measure in bivariate data whose value is predicted to affect the other measure?
dependent variable
Correct answer: explanatory variable
Correct answer: independent variable
response variable
Q5.
Which variable should be represented on the horizontal axis of a scatter graph?
dependent variable
Correct answer: independent variable
Q6.
A set of bivariate data measures hours of daylight in a day and maximum temperature for each day. Which variable is most likely to be the independent variable?
Correct answer: hours of daylight
maximum temperature

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel are examples of software.
Correct Answer: spreadsheet, spread sheet
Q2.
Which is a correct description for a scatter graph?
A circular graph where sectors represent different groups proportionally
A graph consisting of bars to representing the frequency of objects or groups
A graph consisting of pictures to represent the frequency of objects or groups
Correct answer: A graph consisting of two axes to visually represent bivariate data
Q3.
Which keyboard short cut allows you to copy data that has been highlighted in a spreadsheet?
Correct answer: ctrl + c
ctrl + v
shift + c
shift + v
Q4.
When plotting a scatter graph on a spreadsheet, what do you need to select to edit the vertical axis?
dependent
Correct answer: series
$$x$$-axis
$$y$$-axis
Q5.
What steps do you need to take to plot a scatter graph in Desmos, after you have inputted a set of bivariate data?
Click on 'insert' on the ribbon menu and then select 'chart'.
Correct answer: Nothing - Desmos will plot a scatter graph automatically.
Right click on the workspace and select 'insert graph'.
Type 'scatterplot' into the next empty cell and then select your data.
Q6.
Look at the scatter graph. Which of the two towns tends to be warmer?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: Town A
Town B