Ms. Thakkar's MDM 4U0 Class
Culminating Project
The Task
Students will:
choose a topic, define the problem, define the task, develop hypothesis;
find data;
conduct the data analysis (measures of central tendency and spread, regression analysis, counting techniques, probability analysis);
create a written report and multimedia presentation;
present the findings to the class.
Stage 1: Choosing a topic, Finding Data:
identify an area of interest to be researched; look for something important;
look at http://www.statcan.gc.ca/start-debut-eng.html for big ideas;
look at the http://www.brocku.ca/cmt/mdm4u/asprojects/ http://www.teacherweb.com/ON/Statistics/Math/photo3.aspx sites for thoughts;
look for a topic where there is data available http://lib.stat.cmu.edu/DASL/alltopics.html (Data sets) http://www.statsci.org/datasets.html (Statistical Science) http://www.mste.uiuc.edu/data/data.html (Data for math, science, and technology) http://gcmd.gsfc.nasa.gov/ (Earth science data) http://data.worldbank.org/ (World Bank Open Data: free and open access to data about development in countries around the globe)
Accumulate general background knowledge on the topic
Formulate the research question/hypothesis.
Find the secondary data for your project, or determine the primary data to be collected. You will need to have a set or several sets of data to support your research; visit the data libraries, on-line data bases CANSIM;
Be sure there is relevant and available data to be collected. You need to have at least 30 ‘data points’ and at least 3 statistical variables (attributes).
Organize the data obtained in appropriate graphs.
Write a 1-page report providing the topic for your study, background Information, some previous results from other studies and ideas personal research. Explain why you are pursuing this study of interest. State the question to answer through the research. State the hypothesis (what your study is attempting to answer), look for a topic where you can develop a hypothesis or a significant question; your focus should be on proving an idea (either true or false);
Provide the sources listed.
Stages 2 – 4 Conduct the Data Analysis plan how you will analyze the data; determine which statistical tools and technology you will use to analyze the data; make sure that the data, the analysis methods, and the conclusions are consistent with your research question/hypothesis.
Stage 2: Analysis of Central Tendency and Spread for the Data Found (Collected)
Stage 3: Regression Analysis of the Data Stage
4: Probability Analysis of the Data Stage
5: Create a report:
describe the topic, formulate the hypothesis;
describe the data, provide sources (magazines, reports, web sites) of the data;
describe the steps for investigation;
provide detailed statistical analysis of the data (correlation, regression, measures of central tendency, dispersion, distribution, probability analysis, application of counting techniques);
draw conclusions;
bibliography;
related information
Doing Your Research - The databases to look at for this assignment
- CIA World Factbook
- Expanded Academic ASAP
- Stats Canada
These databases are the ones that you should focus on as they are most relevant the topics that you are researching. All of the databases are great sources of information. They are better than a random search on a website because you can find a lot of information here that has been written by experts in the field. You should not have to do a random Google search to gather your information. You have your list of approved websites and databases that you can start your search with.
Once your have selected which topic you are searching for, you may have to use some of the tools to the left to eliminate some of the articles. Some searches will yield thousands of results so being specific will be helpful.
Please keep in mind that you cannot click the links below to get to the databases. You can click on the secondary eResources link below for a quick and easy way to access the databases.
When to Cite - A Checklist
file:///G:/Downloads/AvoidingPlagiarismChecklist.pdf
I now know when to cite my work.....but how do I do it?
APA Citations - The Sixth Edition
Let's Practice Doing Citations In APA Format
Creating a Works Cited Page in APA Format
You can also use the databases to help you complete your works cited page by clicking on SourceIt. This database is Peel Board approved in terms of being a great tool to help you.
One of the easiest tools to use when creating a works cited page is Citation Machine. If you go to www.citationmachine.net , you can input your book, magazine, website, film or other resource and the citation will be created for you! Please keep in mind that if some parts of the citation are missing, you can easily fill them in using Citation Machine.
Finally, many of the databases create the citation for you! When you are in a database and you are looking at an article, look to the top or the left of the article to find a citation tools like (in some databases it will look like a check mark). If you click on that link and select APA formatting, the citation will be created for you and then you can copy and paste it into your works cited page.
When completing your works cited page, there are a few key things to remember:
- It should be in alphabetical by author's last name. If there is no author, then it should be in alphabetical order by whatever letter comes first in the citation.
- The second line should be indented. You can do this by pressing "Enter" and then "Tab".
- You do not have to number your citations.
- You do not have to put your list of citations into categories (i.e. books, magazines, websites, etc.).
- You should only include resources that you actually used in your research. If you looked at it, but did not use it, it should not be included in your works cited.
WORKS CITED EXAMPLE – APA FORMAT
Works Cited
Atwood, M. (2003). Oryx and Crake. London: Bloomsbury.
Harris, J. (2002). Five quarters of an orange. Boston, MA: Harper.
Packer, A. (2003). The dive from Clausen's Pier. New York: Vintage Books.
Policy.ca. (2000-2006). Retrieved March 1, 2007, from http://www.policy.ca.
Westerfeld, S. (2005). Uglies. New York: Simon Pulse.