Stage Two Making Charts for your Final Project

To get started, review your Stage One document.  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 (or purpose in 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:  2008 Statistical Abstract of the US
 

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.  (If you can't create a pie chart from the data files you selected, please create another type of graph.)

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.  List the five questions you hope to answer in your paper (you may or may not have made any changes to them.)

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 Stage One document to your Stage Two Word document.