CensusAtSchool home page > Maths - C@S Projects
 CaSMa06 - Are Males Better Drivers?
You can download this activity, the teacher solutions and the marking rubric as a rich text file (RTF) at the bottom of the page. Download our printer friendly Prepared Samples as Excel files or access data using the Random Sampler.
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1. Subject Area | |
Mathematics |
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2. Suggested Level | |
Years 8-10 |
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3. Key Statistical Literacy Competencies Addressed | |
- Data awareness
- The ability to understand statistical concepts
- The ability to analyse, interpret and evaluate statistical information
- Communicating statistical information and understandings
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4. Overview | |
In this activity you are to prepare a short presentation to your class. You could use PowerPoint that contains graphs. Your presentation can use the CensusAtSchool Random Sampler to gather data for an investigation of whether males will make better drivers than females. You will begin by comparing the reaction times of males to females. |
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5. Requirements | |
- Computer with internet connection
- Spreadsheet software
- Calculator
- Pens and paper
- Student Worksheet
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6. Instructions | |
A claim to investigate
Billy, one of the males in your class, has made an observation that the reaction times of males are faster than that of females. He went on to say "For driving a car quick reactions are important. Males will be better drivers than females because they have faster reaction times." Needless to say, this created some controversy in your class.
With a partner discuss what you think about the accuracy of Billy's claim.
Task 1. Comparing the reaction times of males and females.
You, Sammi and Jasmine, are unsure about the accuracy of Billy's claim, so you decide to investigate if males do have faster reaction times than females.
Data from the CensusAtSchool questionnaire could be used to investigate the reaction times of females and males.
Sammi suggests that a simple calculation of the mean reaction time for females and for males will give us the answer. Jasmine is not sure. She thinks that median should be used to measure the middle of a set of data. "They always use the median house price, don't they?"
Sammi also thinks it might be best to use functions in Excel. It will be easy to calculate both the mean and the median. Then they might be able to decide which is better. He is also uncertain about which reaction time to use.
1. In a group, discuss how to investigate the claim with your classmates and record how you will carry out your investigation. Don't forget to describe the sample/s you take and why you have used that sample/s.
You can go to the CensusAtSchool web site and obtain a sample from the random sampler or you can ask your teacher for a prepared sample from the web pages.
2. Carry out and record your investigation. Include any tables you used.
3. What can you conclude from your investigation?
Task 2. Does one number tell you enough?
Jasmine is not happy with a conclusion that is based on just one number such as a mean or median. She says that this only gives a limited picture. The mean tells you nothing about the rest of the data. Sammi wants to know about all the data and suggests that a graph such as a histogram would give a more complete picture.
Jasmine has seen box and whisker plots and stem and leaf plots and thought they were good. They could be clearer than a histogram. She thinks that drawing parallel box plots or back to back stem and leaf plots a box plot of male's reaction times with female's reaction times will enable a better comparison to be made. The person who drew the box plot used the quartile function in MS Excel and then drew the box plot by hand. You can also draw a box plot in Excel if the Add-in has been added to the tools menu.
4. Decide on a way you can show 'all the data' and carry out the task. Record the results of your method.
5. Comment on any additional information you have gained from examining 'all the data'.
Task 3. Can you say that driving ability is related to reaction time?
6. What makes a good driver? You might like to do some research on this question to support your presentation. |
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7. Extension | |
7. Prepare a short presentation to your class addressing the claim that males make better drivers than females. Any conclusions you draw must be based on the CensusAtSchool data or other research you have conducted. Remember that people generally find graphs and diagrams easier to understand than tables of data.
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8. Glossary | |
A Box Plot (often called a Box and Whisker Plot)
A box plot can be used to show interquartile range.
Box plots can be drawn horizontally or vertically.
Notice that a scale is drawn underneath. You can draw two or more box plots on the same scale. This is called a side by side box plot.
Interquartile Range.
Interquartile range uses the median value so the data is arranged in ascending order.
Q1 is the reaction time that 25% of students are below.
Q2 is the median of the reaction times
Q3 is the reaction time for which 25% of students are above (75% are below).
Ie. in a sample of 100 students, when they are placed in ascending order:
Q1 is the value that is half way between the 25th and the 26th reaction time.
Q2 is the value that is half way between the 50th and the 51st reaction time.
Q3 is the value that is half way between the 75th and the 76th reaction time.
Interquartile Range = Q3 - Q1
50% of the reaction times will fall within the interquartile range.
The interquartile range could be used to compare a value to a sample. If the median reaction time for females falls between Q1 and Q3 for the males you could state that the reaction times are the same. You must clearly state that the decision is based on using the interquartile range. Eg. "The reaction time for females is the same as for males because the median reaction time for females falls inside the interquartile range for males."
You can use the Excel function 'Quartile' to calculate the value of each quartile. The first quartile, Q1, of the cells from A1 to A101, is =quartile(A2:A101,1).
The second quartile, Q2, is calculated with the function =quartile(A2:A101,2)
Draw a table in which to enter the quartiles for females and males. Use the spreadsheet function to calculate Q1, Q2 and Q3 for females and for males.
Parallel Box and Whisker Tool
Parallel box and whisker plots can be drawn using the tool on the Education Services Home page in the Teacher Resource section.
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Download the Activity
To provide any feedback regarding this activity, please contact ABS Education Services on 1800 623 273 or email education@abs.gov.au.
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This page last updated 14 November 2011 | 
