Mathematical and Technological Literacy I Activity 5b:  State Population

Reminder: Please do the following at the beginning of every computer activity.

a. Open a new Word document.

b. Click on the "File" on the top menu bar, then go to "Save As".   Give your document a somewhat descriptive name (e.g. "Assignment 2"). Also save the document to the desktop by setting the "Save in" textbox to "Desktop". (Saving to the desktop makes it easy to retrieve your work when you are finished.)

During the activity, frequently save your Word document! You can do this by 1) clicking on the icon on the toolbar that looks like a 3.5 inch floppy disk 2) clicking on "File" and then selecting "Save" or 3) holding the control key down and pressing "s" (i.e., Ctrl + s).

Activity

1.  In this activity we will study the change in population in the states from 1990 to 2000. Before proceeding, think about which states experienced the greatest growth from 1990 to 2000 and which states experienced the least growth.  In your Word document, write a short paragraph listing the two states your group thinks grew the most and which two states your group thinks grew the least or declined the most. In your paragraph briefly indicate the factors you believe are driving the growth or decline.

2.  Open the file StatePopulation2000.xls, which contains official decennial census population figures for all states for 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000, by either clicking on the file link.  First we will calculate and discuss absolute change.

a.  Fill column F with the difference between the 2000 and 1990 populations for each state.  (Excel Instructions:  In F6 type a label "Absolute Change".  Then in cell F8 type =E8-D8.  Then fill down the rest of the column. To fill down, you can double click on the small box in the lower right hand corner of cell F8; alternately, you can left click on this small box, then holding the mouse button down, move the mouse down to the end of the column.)  This calculation is called the absolute change. It is simply the change in population.  Please note that absolute change can be either positive or negative, depending on whether the population increased or decreased.

b.  Using Excel's column sorting tools, determine the three states that had the largest increase (positive change) in population from 1990 to 2000.  (Excel Instructions:  Click a cell in the column you would like to sort by (choose just one cell within the data, not within the header row). Click Sort Ascending or Sort Descending which are found under either Home Tab or the Data Tab.)

In your Word document, write a paragraph (approximately 3-4 sentences) listing the names and population increases of these states. (Note that the population figures in the table are in thousands so an increase of "40" is actually an increase of "40,000".)

3.  Now we will calculate and discuss percentage change.

a.  Fill column G with the percentage change in population from 1990 to 2000 for each state.  Remember to label your column, and recall that the percentage change in a quantity is defined to be the absolute change divided by the value at the start:

 

Relative change is expressed as a decimal (for example:  0.342) and is not commonly used.  Percentage change is relative change expressed as a percentage; for example 0.342 is expressed as 34.2%.  Percentage change is more commonly used.

(Excel Instructions:  In G6 type a label "Percentage Change".  Then in cell G8 type "=F8/D8" or "(E8-D8)/D8".  Then fill down the rest of the column. To fill down, you can double click on the small box in the lower right hand corner of cell G8.)  To express your values in percent click on the percentage button under the Home Tab.  You may express more decimals in your values by clicking a number of times on the "Increase Decimal" button ; to express fewer decimals click on the "Decrease Decimal" button .  Both of these buttons can be found under the Home Tab.

b.  Using Excel's sorting tools, determine the three states that had the largest percentage increase in population from 1990 to 2000. (Excel Instructions:  Click a cell in the column you would like to sort by (choose just one cell within the data, not within the header row). Click Sort Ascending or Sort Descending which are found under either Home Tab or the Data Tab.)

In your Word document, write a paragraph (3-4 sentences) listing the names and percentage increases of these states.

4.  Review your answers created by sorting by absolute change and your answers by sorting by percentage change.  Which do you believe is more informative when describing the change in population?  State your choice and explain your answer in your Word document.

5.  Now, using the Thematic Mapping Tool make a shaded map of the percentage increase data. Then paste it into your Word document.

6.  In a short well-written paragraph, describe the geographic patterns of growth in the US from 1990 to 2000.  What regions are experiencing population growth?  Which are experiencing little or no growth?  Are there some outliers? (An outlier is an unusual data point that goes against the general trend.)