Stage Two Making Charts for your Final Project

To get started, review your Stage One document which has been returned with comments.  Using this as a starting point, think of a title (or purpose) for your article.  What would you like to tell your readers!  You can change it later if necessary.  When creating your graphs, think about how they can answer the questions you wrote in stage one.  (As you work on stage two, feel free to make changes to the questions you wrote in stage one.)

1.  Write your title at the top of your Word document.

2.  Following the steps below, you will create 3 graphs (including one map if you wish) plus one trendline graph.  Be sure to save your original Excel file(s), including your graphs.  You will need to make changes to them later.   Be sure to make graphs/maps that will support your topic and hopefully answer the questions you wrote in stage one!  You final paper must include graphs/maps made from at least 3 different Excel files.  Your files can be found by clicking on:  2009 Statistical Abstract of the US.  When you cite your source, be sure to include the Excel table number.
 

a.  Create a pie chart from one or your Excel files. Follow the advice under #2 in Advice for Making Graphs and review the Making an Effective Graph/Map box above.  Paste this graph in your Word Document.

b.  Choose a different Excel file and create one column chart (if possible, create a multiple bar chart).  Follow the advice under #2 in Advice for Making Graphs and review the Making an Effective Graph/Map box above.  Paste this graph in your Word Document.

c.  Choose a third Excel file, if possible, and create a map. Remember that maps should always represent relative numbers, not absolute numbers. If geographic data is not available for your topic then please create another pie, column, or x-y scatter plot. Follow the advice under #3 in Advice for Making Graphs.   Don't forget the W's when writing the title.  Paste this map in your Word Document.

3.  For each of the graphs please write a paragraph (approximately 3-5 sentences) describing it (type the paragraph under the corresponding graph/map).  You will want to point out interesting features and use percentages to make observations.  For ideas, read the Chicago Tribune article (Chicago's Tolerance for Murder) to see how they did it.  Tell your audience what you want them to know about the data.

4. a.  Create an x-y scatter plot that defines your topic (feel free to use any of your Excel files). This will be one of your most important graphs!

Make sure the data satisfies the following criteria:

• It should cover at least five years, but it would be much better if there were closer to 10 plus years.

• It should have central relevance to your topic (i.e. percentage of each race earning college, the rate of rapes, the homicide rate, the rate of accidents due to high blood alcohol content, etc.).

• It represents relative, not absolute, numbers. In general, looking at how absolute numbers have grown over time merely shows an increase in population, rather than anything interesting about the topic you are investigating.

Use as many years as possible, and, if possible, use relative rather than absolute numbers. Follow the advice under #1 in Advice for Making Graphs and review the Making an Effective Graph/Map box above.  Paste the graph you have chosen in your Word document.  

b.  Write a sentence or two explaining why this graph is central to your topic.

c.  Pick out three interesting features of the graph and write a sentence or two about each of them.

d.  Add a trendline to the data (including the equation and R-squared value) and paste the resulting graph into your Word document.

e. Do you need to add a localized trend?  Is the R-squared value is below .5?  Does the end of your graph look more linear than the graph as a whole? If so, you may need to add a localized trendline. Include the revised graph in your Word document.  If you not need to add a localized trend, write a sentence in your Word document explaining why.

f. Make at least one prediction using the equation for some date into the future. Show your work in your Word document.  Be sure to carefully choose your prediction year.  (You might want to use the extended trendline method to double check your prediction.)

g. How much faith do you have in this prediction? Write a paragraph (at least 3 sentences) stating your prediction and providing justification.  Be sure to address any guidelines that are applicable.  See Justifying your prediction in Words.

5.  Save your Excel file(s)!!!  You will need them again!

6.  Create a draft thesis.

1. Using the questions you wrote for Stage 1 as a starting point, create a draft thesis for your article.   A thesis statement tests your ideas by distilling them into one or two sentences, helps you organize and develop your article, and provides the audience with a guide to your work. 

   A thesis statement:

   • directly answers a question. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be Marriage or Motor Vehicle Fatalities; a thesis must then offer a way to understand your analysis of Marriage or Fatalities.
   • tells the audience how you will interpret the importance of the subject matter under discussion.
   • is usually a single sentence in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the article, the body of the work, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of your interpretation.

   All your work with the data to create the graphs for Stage 2 should help you craft this draft thesis:  what do you think about your topic?  What's important, interesting, or different about your approach?  Your thesis will probably change a bit between Stage 2 and Stage 3, and that's okay.  You're creating a great starting point.

7.  Local Connection (Extra Credit)

a.  Find data to answer the questions you wrote as part of stage one.  Attach a copy of the data to your Word document or type the link to data in your Word document.

b.  Feel free to update your questions based on the information that you locate.  List your two questions or ideas for a local connection (they may or may not be the same as stage one).

c.  Create a graph/map from the data that answers at least one of your questions.  Write a short paragraph answering at least one of your questions.

8.  Attach your graded copy of stage one to your stage two Word document.