Objective
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to investigate relationships between two statistical variables, including how they change over time.
Materials and Prep
- Pencil and paper
- Calculator
- No prior knowledge needed
Activities
- Data Collection: Choose two variables that interest you (e.g., temperature and ice cream sales) and collect data over a month.
- Graph Creation: Plot the data points on a graph and observe any patterns or trends.
- Correlation Analysis: Calculate the correlation coefficient between the two variables to determine the strength of their relationship.
- Time Series Analysis: Extend your data collection for another month and compare the relationship over time.
Talking Points
- "Correlation measures the strength and direction of a linear relationship between two variables."
- "A positive correlation indicates that as one variable increases, the other variable also increases."
- "A negative correlation means that as one variable increases, the other variable decreases."
- "A correlation coefficient close to 1 or -1 indicates a strong relationship, while close to 0 indicates a weak relationship."