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Lesson Planning Sheet Title: Plotting Scatter Graphs Learning Objectives: By the end of the lesson: All students should be able to plot a scatter graph when the scales are provided. Most students should be able to choose their own scales to plot a scatter graph. Some students should be able to determine whether two measurements correlate by plotting a scatter graph and line of best fit. Keywords: Scatter graph, scale, correlation, relationship, negative, positive Learning Activities Use the I.T. activity in the additional resources section to plot scatter graphs using computers in order to understand their shape. Starter/Introduction Introduce the concept of two measurements being related when the value of one affects the other. Work through with the students how to group the measurements and choose the relationship which best describes them. Students could attempt this through discussing the measurements then coming to the board to arrange them in the grid. To blur the starter in to the main phase of the lesson the teacher could sketch the relationship of each pair using two points on Cartesian axes. For example, Resources: Mini-whiteboards Spread sheet for IT lesson

Development Before attempting to plot the scatter graph on slide two discuss with the students whether the two measurements are likely to have a positive, negative or no correlation. The worksheet in the additional resources section can be given to students so they work alongside the teacher. Using the data from the tables as coordinate pairs plot the points in the grid. Discuss how the points are scattered along a positive direction. The line of best fit is used to describe this direction. A common misconception when drawing the line of best fit is for students to draw it through the origin or as line segments joining each coordinate pair. Students should be able to plot the scatter graph on the third slide independently. Plenary Discuss how the measurement of a persons hand and foot maybe related. Explain to the students they will work together to collect the hand and foot size data of everyone in the class. Once measured the students will need to record their data on the main whiteboard for everyone to tabulate. For example,
Initial Hand (cm) Foot (cm)

Now discuss how the scale of the axes will be chosen. It is best for the students to use pencil and an A4 sheet of graph paper. Work through with the students the plotting of several coordinates then allow them to work independently to finish the graph off. When finished, introduce the concept of line of best fit and how it can be used to determine the strength and direction of the relationship through correlation. Differentiation More able: Students could use the scatter graphs to estimate missing values.

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Less Able Students may need to have the scales pre drawn in order to focus on plotting the coordinate pairs.