Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 3
ORGANISING AND REPRESENTING AND INTERPRETING DATA
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ORGANISING AND REPRESENTING AND INTERPRETING DATA
Download the Lessonotes Mobile Ghana app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Additional Mathematics
Class: SHS 3
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 1
Grade code: 3.4.1.LI.3
Strand code: 4
Sub-strand code: 1
Content standard code: 3.4.1.CS.1
Indicator code: 3.4.1.LI.3
Theme: HANDLING DATA
Subtheme: ORGANISING AND REPRESENTING AND INTERPRETING DATA
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This lesson focuses on understanding and interpreting scatter plots, a powerful tool for visualising the relationship between two different variables. In our daily lives in Ghana, we often try to understand how one thing affects another. For instance, does the amount of rainfall affect the price of maize in the Madina market? Does the number of hours a student spends on social media affect their exam scores? Scatter plots help us move from guessing to making data-informed conclusions. By learning to analyse these plots, we can better understand trends in economics, agriculture, health, and even our personal lives.
This section breaks down the core ideas you need to master. We will move step-by-step from the basic definitions to the actual analysis. 2.1 Bivariate Data Definition: Bivariate data is data that involves two different variables. The "bi-" prefix means two. We collect this data in pairs to see if there is a relationship between the two variables. Example in Ghana: A fishmonger at the Tema fishing harbour records the weight of a fish (Variable 1) and its price (Variable 2). Each fish provides a pair of data points (e.g., 2 kg, GHS 30). A researcher from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) studies the amount of rainfall in a month (Variable 1) and the yield of cocoa in tonnes from a farm (Variable 2). 2.2 Independent and Dependent Variables
When looking at a relationship, we often assume one variable might influence or cause a change in the other. Independent Variable (Explanatory Variable): This is the variable that we think might cause the change. It is what you control or what changes on its own. It is always plotted on the horizontal axis (x-axis). Dependent Variable (Response Variable): This is the variable that is affected or measured. Its value "depends" on the independent variable. It is always plotted on the vertical axis (y-axis).
Example: Scenario: A teacher wants to see if the number of hours a student studies affects their test score. Independent Variable (x): Number of hours spent studying. (This is what the student controls). Dependent Variable (y): Score on the test. (This is the outcome we are measuring). 2.3 What is a Scatter Plot?
A scatter plot (or scatter diagram) is a graph used to display bivariate data. It consists of a set of points plotted on a Cartesian plane (with an x-axis and a y-axis). Each point on the plot represents one pair of data values. Its primary purpose is to help us *visually* see if a relationship exists between the two variables. 2.4 Constructing a Scatter Plot: A Step-by-Step Guide