Project on Correlation and Pearsons Correlation Coefficient Analysis

Goals: At the end of this project, students should be better able to:
- Use technology (mostly Excel) to organize data.
- Determine if there is a correlation between two variables that they have an
interest about within their lives.
- Organize their findings and work in a clear, easy to read and understand,
professional looking electronic presentation.
- Work in a group setting to collaborate and complete a task within a timeframe.

Standards: This project uses the following, but is not limited to, standards of the Common
Core: N-Q-1, N-Q-2, N-Q-3, A-CED-1, A-CED-2, A-CED-3, A-REI-6, A-REI-10, F-IF-9, F-BF-1, F-LE-5,
S-ID-6c, S-ID-7, S-ID-8, S-ID-9

YOU get to pick the project!!
Yep, thats right. Your group gets to select a topic that you think there might be a correlation
between those two variables. Some examples could be:
- The number of a certain fast food restaurant vs. the population of the city.
- The time to complete 10 jumping jacks vs. the time to complete 10 sit-ups.
- The age of a 0-1 year old vs. the amount of hours they sleep.
- Eligible voter turnout for the Presidential election vs. time in years.
- Finishing time (in seconds) of the Tour de France winner vs. time in years.

Use Microsoft Excel and/or your calculator to do the calculations. All the results should be
presented/interpreted or printed out in Microsoft Word. Nothing should be submitted
handwritten. The rubric of how the scoring of the project will be assessed will be posted online.
A daily 20% deduction of full points is applied for late submission. Other class and HW policies
apply.

You need to get approved by me before ??/??/201? at the end of the school day an idea
between two variables that your group (sized 1 4) thinks there could be some correlation
between. You need at least 50 samples!

Based on your data which you need to collect with your group and enter into Excel, answer/do
the following items:

1) Draw the scatter plot of your two variables. Label your axis clearly! Ask yourself, What
can you tell?
2) Obtain: The mean, median and mode of both variables.
3) CLEARLY select two points and find the equation of the line of best fit for your data.
Draw this line of best fit on your graph.
4) Excel should give you the line of best fit according to its calculations. Compare and
contrast your equation from #3 and Excels equation.
5) Extrapolate (a.k.a. predict the future for what would happen to a certain value of one of
your variables) with BOTH equations.
6) Compute correlation coefficient ( r ), and ask yourself, What can you tell? Make sure
all your steps make it into the presentation.
7) Type at least a paragraph on any observations you or your group may have had on the
data, the correlation (positive, negative or neither) and the Pearsons correlation
coefficient ( r ) and what your group would have done differently if you got the
opportunity to do this again. Points will be deducted for mistakes in spelling, grammar
and/or punctuation.

Have all these things in a single, presentable electronic form that is emailed to (insert email
address here) before ??/??/201? by 11:59 pm CT.

Remember that your Pearsons Correlation coefficient SHOULD be a number between -1 and 1.

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Group members: ______________________________________________

Our question: ______________________________________________
______________________________________________

Approved: ______________________________________________

NEED HELP WITH EXCEL? Check out this playlist of the basics of Excel videos on
YouTube and/or have someone in your group who has used Excel before.
http://bit.ly/14dGgea