Right or left

Right or left

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
For this task you will be recording the total number of females and males who are left-handed or right-handed for writing in your class or group, then you are to make a statement about your findings.
 
a)
In the box below construct a 2 × 2 array (table) on which to organise this information.
Label any rows or columns you use. Set up total columns for females and males, and for left- and right-handedness.
    
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    
b) On a slip of paper write whether you are:

  • male or female; and
  • left or right-handed for writing.
Place it on your desk so others may read it easily. Go around your class/group and read the slips on each person's desk. 
Tally this information in to your array, including your own slip, and complete your table.
 
c)
From your array make one statement comparing the left and right-handedness of females and males in your class/group.
 
 
 
 
Task administration: 

This task requires physical space for students to move around and equipment.

Equipment:

A large group or class of students, females and males, left- and right-handers; slips of paper (approximately 3 cm × 10 cm).

  • To simplify the data collection process get students to record whether they are male or female and left- or right-handed for writing on a slip of paper and place it on their desk, e.g., male-right.
  • After students have completed the task collect up the slips of paper and make a 2 × 2 table to check that the data has been accurately recorded.
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Maths, Statistics, Statistical investigations
Keywords: 
data collection, table interpretation, table construction, bi-variate data
Description of task: 
This practical task requires students to collect data about gender and left- or right- handedness from a group or class, present their data in a 2 × 2 array, and make a statement based on their findings.
Curriculum Links: 
This resource can be used to help to identify students' ability to collect and interpret bivariate data in a 2 by 2 table.
 
Key competencies
This resource involves exploring and using patterns and relationships in data and designing a 2x2 table, and communicating findings. These relate to the Key Competencies: Thinking and Using language, symbols and text.
Learning Progression Frameworks
This resource can provide evidence of learning associated with
Additive thinking, sets 7-8
within the Mathematics Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 

 

 

2 marks
or
1 mark

 

a)

 

2 × 2 array constructed including cells for all totals (see below).

2 × 2 array constructed, omitting some or all cells for totals.

NOTE: Headings in the table female/male and left/right-handedness are interchangeable. Other less informative tables may also be considered.
 

1 mark
2 marks
or
1 mark

 

 

1 mark
1 mark

1 mark

b)

NOTE: The following marks can be awarded even if the 2 × 2 array has
not been constructed.
Data collected in a systematic way.
Data accurately recorded in all 4 categories.

1 error made in data collected, i.e.,

  • an omission
  • a transposition
  • a repetition
  • an addition

Sub-totals of gender given corresponding to data collected by students. Sub-totals of left and right-handedness given corresponding to data collected by students. Overall total given, corresponding to subtotals given.

1 mark

c)

A comparative statement based on data collected is given, e.g., "There are 7 more right-handed females than right-handed males."