Web Quests

CHAPTER 3

TV TIME

TASK CONTEXT

Using the Internet, students will find data on the average number of hours of TV viewed by Canadians per week. Students will create a graph to display the data and then answer questions about their graph.

EXPECTATIONS

5m109   interpret displays of data and present the information using mathematical terms

5m119   construct labelled graphs both by hand and by using computer applications

5m120   evaluate data presented on tables, charts, and graphs, and use the information in discussion

MATERIALS

grid paper

coloured pencils

ruler

RESOURCES

Statistics Canada Web site:

Canadian Statistics - Average hours per week of television viewing www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/arts23.htm

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESS

1. Read the Introduction as a class. Discuss the questions and write the students' answers on the board. You will refer back to these answers at the end of the task.
2. As a class, read through the Task and Process sections of the Student page to ensure that students are clear on what is expected of them.
3. Have students go to Canadian Statistics - Average hours per week of television viewing .
4. Ask students what information the table shows. After students have had a couple of minutes to look at the table, discuss as a class possible answers to this question

Sample answers:

• how many hours of TV people watch per week in each province
• how many hours of TV people of different age groups watch per week by province and country
• how many hours of TV are watched per week by French Quebecers and English Quebecers
• how many hours of TV adult males and females watch per week by province and country
• Ask students to choose one of the options, given on the Student page, to graph. Students can create their graphs by hand or using computer software.

5. Make sure students explain their choice of graph and their choice of scale in writing or orally in an interview format.
6. While students are working, observe and/or interview students to see how they are interpreting and carrying out the task.

Sample questions:

• What other scale could you use?
• Would it make sense to use a scale of 10? Why or why not?
• How did you decide what data you would use for your graph?
• Why is the type of graph you chose important? What would this graph look like if you used another type of graph? Would someone be able to get the same information from it?
• Does the title of your graph represent the data displayed in your graph?

7. Make sure students interpret the data they used for their graphs.

Sample questions:

• Do you see any trends in your graph?
• Who watches more TV, [adult males] or [females]?
• In which province do people watch the most/least TV?
• What age group watches the least/most TV?

8. As a class, discuss how the class's answers to the questions in the Introduction compare to the data they used to create their graphs. 

MEETING INDIVIDUAL NEEDS

• For students who need extra support, suggest that they graph statistics that use less data and consequently would have only 2 bars in a bar graph, such as male vs. female adults in Canada or French vs. English Quebecers.
• For students who are better at communicating orally than writing, have them answer questions 3, 4 and 5 orally in an interview format.
• For extra challenge, have students decide if the time of year the survey was conducted would have affected the results.

ASSESSMENT