Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Amazing facts and music

The variety of musical interests' of Swift students is shown through the graphs and charts outside Ms. Gamble's room. The data that shows what kinds of music we prefer fits in well with the circle graph and bar graph displays. Other types of music facts such as specific information about favorite albums, songs, the number of awards, or how long a song remains popular can be interesting to check out too. Some of these facts can best be shown on graphs with types of averages- box and whisker plots, changes over time- line graphs, and relationships between data- scatter plots.

One website where music data from all genres is shown is called All Music. This website gives a plethora of updated facts on musicians. The link above shows the band "Sugar Ray" from the 90's and early 2000's. In addition to some amazing numbers the website gives the bands history and links to other bands that are similar.

What links to musicians have you found on the Internet? A band's website, Face book page, or a music station like All Music that has lots of different bands?

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Data Displays

How to make your favorite data display?

Circle Graphs-

Start with a table for Categories, Frequency, Percentages, and Angle Measures.
Use a compass to draw the circle and form sectors using a protractor and the angle measures.
Label the circle graph with categories, percentages and colors for each sector.

Example- What is your favorite color?

Category- Blue; Frequency- 4


Percentage- 4/10 = 40%


Angle Measure- .40*360= 144 degrees


Interactive Website: Making a Histogram. Online resource to use- Illuminations Webpage

Find the range of your data and determine your intervals. Make a data table with Intervals and Frequency (number of data points in those intervals). Label your vertical (y-axis) with frequency and the horizontal (x-axis) with the intervals in your table. The bars on your histogram should touch each other and run continuously along the x-axis. Label your histogram with a title and label for your horizontal axis to represent the meaning of the data.

Example: Weekly Hours of Practice: Data 12, 21, 16, 18, 31, 25, 8, 22
Intervals 0-9, 10-19, 20-29, 30-39
Frequency 0-9 =1, 10-19 =3, 20-29=3, 30-39=1

The circle graph and histograms are both interesting visual graphs that show comparisons.
One key difference is the histogram can show the frequency of an event or how many times it falls within a certain interval. What other situations or data sets could you use for circle graphs or histograms? What tips can you offer to display data in a clear and entertaining way?

Friday, September 16, 2011

Quotes about Life

When we want a little inspiration, or to reflect on why we are here Quotations can help us open up a discussion or think about something more deeply. Below are some quotes that I found inspiring as we begin a new school year. What thoughts do these quotes bring to mind for you? What are some of your favorite life lessons or quotes?

"The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up" Mark Twain

I like this quote because when I am helping and encouraging others I feel uplifted. What are some things in your life make you feel joy?

"Talent is like electricity--we don't understand electricity we use it" Maya Angelou

Each person brings unique talents that they can offer to share with others. We don't understand why we have these talents but it is these things that make us special. What is a special talent or interest that you have?

"So you see! There's no end To the things you might know, Depending how far beyond Zebra you go" Dr. Seuss

We can stretch ourselves far beyond where we once thought possible. The zest in our imagination will bring us new knowledge and stretch our potential as humans on a rich planet. What are some things that you've learned or wished to learn which help you grow?

"Home is where one starts from" TS Elliot

The foundation that we've learned from our families carries with us. Who are those people in your life you call family?

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" Eleanor Roosevelt

We are in charge of our lives. The power to change our mood, move past misfortune, and overcome obstacles makes us stronger. What challenges have you overcome in life?

"If a person doesn't keep pace with their companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away" Henry David Thoreau

"Nothing can be loved or hated unless it is first understood" Leonardo da Vinci

"The injury we do and the one we suffer are not weighed in the the same scale" Aesop

"We may all have come on different ships, but we're all in the same boat now" Martin Luther King Jr.

"We must be authors of our own age" Madeline Albright

"No individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind him/her distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it" George Washington Carver

"Genius is 1 percent inspiration, 99 percent perspiration" Thomas Edison

"A book is like a garden carried in a pocket" Chinese proverb