This graph stinks . . . but I fixed it
A lesson on data representation
Keywords:
mathematics education, high school mathematics, data representation, statisticsAbstract
This article shares a lesson on data representation. Designed for high school mathematics classrooms, the lesson begins by exploring data from the 2020 presidential election. Then, students have the opportunity to find other misleading graphs, analyze how/why they are misleading, and create a revised version of the graph that more accurately shares the data. Throughout the article, we share details of how the lesson was implemented with a group of preservice mathematics teachers. We also share student reactions/work and recommendations for teaching this lesson within a high school setting.
References
CNN. 2020. “Nevada.” CNN. March 6, 2021. https://www.cnn.com/election/2020/results/state/nevada
Ernest, P. (2015). The Social Outcomes of Learning Mathematics: Standard, Unintended or Visionary? International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, 3(3), 187–192.
GISGeography. 2022. “US Election of 2020 Map.” GISGeography. May 31, 2022. https://gisgeography.com/us-election-2020-map/
Gutstein, E., & Peterson, B. (Eds.). (2006). Rethinking mathematics: Teaching social justice by the numbers. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Rethinking Schools.
Izard, B. (2018). Teaching Human Rights through Mathematics. Mathematics Teacher, 112(2), 114–119.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). (2018). Catalyzing Change in High School Mathematics: Initiating Critical Conversations. Reston VA: Author. Retrieved Aug 1, 2023, from https://pubs.nctm.org/view/book/9781680540154/9781680540154.xml
Gross, Terry. 2022. “From slavery to socialism, new legislation restricts what teachers can discuss.” NPR. February 3, 2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/02/03/1077878538/legislation-restricts-what-teachers-can-discuss
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Copyright (c) 2023 Blair Izard, Kristal Cloft
