Understanding cause and effect
This resource list is designed to provide students with the opportunity to:
- use and interpret scatter graphs of bivariate data;
- recognise correlation and know that it does not indicate causation;
- draw estimated lines of best fit;
- make predictions;
- interpolate and extrapolate apparent trends whilst knowing the dangers of so doing.
Visit the secondary mathematics webpage to access all lists.
- ALL
- Teacher guidance
- Textbook
- Interactive resource
- Activity sheet
Teacher guidance
Correlation
The first activity in this interactive excel file shows a set of data in a scatter plot. The line of best fit can be drawn and a description of the type of correlation can be revealed along with the equation of the trend line. The second activity shows the value of cars at various ages. The scatter plot shows the data and there are a few questions to be answered about the correlation and based on the use of the line of best fit. There are three more sheets of questions which may be suitable for use in the classroom.
Textbook
Mini-course 5: Scatterplots - Health and Growth
This resource can be used to extend understanding of scatter graphs. Making Sense of Data is about relationships between two, or more, quantities, looked at by plotting graphs of one against the other.
As a result of this mini-course students should:
- look at the shape of the scatterplot before making any calculations
- pay attention in a scatterplot to outlying points, curvature, clustering in one region of the plot and differences across the plot in the variability of a variable
- know that a relationship is not a cause
- understand what different correlations look like on a scatterplot
- know how to fit a resistant straight line
- look at residuals from a fit
- know how to look for a re-expression to straighten a curved plot
- try plotting ranks if either variable is unevenly distributed
- allow for the effect of a variable by fitting and removing it
- know that selecting one group of cases may very much alter the correlation
Health and medical provision forms an introduction to looking at scatterplots, and could be used on its own for that purpose.
Interactive resource
Statistics in Your World - Level 4
The unit entitled ‘Smoking and Health’ examines some of the major diseases common among people who smoke. A scatter graph of smoking and birth weight is examined, and students are asked to look at other evidence and consider whether smoking is harmful. Critical appraisal is invited of some conclusions of the Royal College of Physicians report Smoking OR Health (1977). On completing this unit students will have practised reading tables, plotting graphs, drawing and considering inferences, interpreting tables and data, comparing two or more sets of data, describing and assessing trends, plotting and reading bar charts, using and interpreting death rates, reading time series, calculating percentage changes and using them for comparison, interpreting statements using the word ‘average’ and making a critical assessment of other comments based on data. They will be more aware of data sources, the problems of data comparison, the distinction between correlation and causality, the data connecting smoking with various aspects of health and the distinction between conclusions shown from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.
The unit: ‘Equal Pay’ requires students to investigate whether the Equal Pay Act is working, by applying statistical techniques, and considers some of the inherent problems in making comparisons. The median, cumulative percentages and the interquartile range are covered.
For each unit there are comprehensive teacher's notes giving an overview of the unit, the aims and objectives for that unit, and prior learning or prerequisites and the equipment required.
Activity sheet
Let's Compare Feet!
This resource contains a starter activity which explores data analysis and what conclusions can and cannot be drawn from scatter graphs. This can be used to discuss correlation, trends, continuous and discontinuous data, extrapolation and lines of best fit.
