Working with the Large Data Sets in A level Mathematics
Ideas for using the Large Data Sets to teach statistics in A level Mathematics
The Integral online resources contain lessons based on the Large Data Sets for the AQA, Edexcel, MEI and OCR specifications. The lessons include PowerPoint presentations, student worksheets, teacher notes and solutions.
Downloading the large data sets
- AQA: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/mathematics/as-and-a-level/mathematics-7357/assessment-resources
- Edexcel: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/mathematics-2017.coursematerials.html
- MEI: https://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/as-and-a-level/mathematics-b-mei-h630-h640-from-2017/assessment/ (see pre-release materials)
- OCR: https://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/as-and-a-level/mathematics-a-h230-h240-from-2017/assessment/ (see pre-release materials)
Using Desmos for the large data sets
The Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP) has produced workbooks that show how to use Desmos to investigate the large data sets:
- AQA: Using Desmos for the AQA large data set
- Edexcel: Using Desmos for the Edexcel large data set
- MEI: Using Desmos for the MEI large data set
- OCR: Using Desmos for the OCR large data set
Help videos: using Excel and GeoGebra for statistics
These short videos demonstrate a range of useful techniques for using Excel and GeoGebra for statistics in GCSE and A level Mathematics, including the large data sets. Most of the videos are less than 5 minutes in length. The data sets used in the videos are not related to any exam specification; they have been chosen to illustrate the techniques.
Copying and filtering
These videos use the Car fuel and emissions data set.
- Copying and pasting data in Excel
- Copying and pasting data in Excel using keyboard shortcuts
- Filtering and copying filtered data in Excel
Cleaning data, dealing with missing data
These videos use the World bank data set.
- Missing data: unmerging cells in Excel
- Cleaning for missing data by filtering in Excel
- Issues with missing data in Excel
- Issues with missing data in GeoGebra
Working with charts
These videos use the data set OECD.stat (2017) Municipal waste, generation and treatment April 2017.
- Freezing panes in Excel
- Inserting a time series chart in Excel
- Cleaning data for a time series chart in Excel
- Cleaning data, chart types and labels in Excel
- Moving a chart to a new sheet in Excel
Scatter diagrams, trend lines and correlation
These videos use the Car fuel and emissions data set.
- Drawing a scatter diagram in Excel.
- Drawing a scatter diagram in GeoGebra.
- Adding a trend line to a scatter diagram in Excel.
- Adding a trend line to a scatter diagram in GeoGebra.
- Calculating a correlation coefficient in Excel.
- Calculating a correlation coefficient in GeoGebra.
Drawing histograms and box plots
These videos use the Rain gauge data set (this data set is no longer available online).
- Copying data from Excel to GeoGebra
- Drawing a histogram in GeoGebra and changing the bar width
- More advanced histograms in GeoGebra
- Drawing box plots in GeoGebra
Grouping data and working with grouped data
These videos use the Minimum wage data set.
- Introduction to pivot tables in Excel
- Grouping discrete data in Excel
- Grouping continuous data in Excel
- Estimating means from grouped data in Excel
- Grouped data in GeoGebra
Histograms from grouped data; cumulative frequency / percentage charts
These videos use the Japan census data set (this data set is no longer available online).
- Drawing a histogram in GeoGebra from grouped data
- Drawing a histogram in GeoGebra from grouped data (part 2)
- Drawing a cumulative frequency chart in GeoGebra
- Drawing a cumulative percentage graph in GeoGebra
Random sampling
These videos use the Car fuel and emissions data set.
- Random sampling in Excel using rand()
- Random sampling in Excel using randombetween
- Random sampling in Excel using vlookup
- Random sampling in GeoGebra
