While the Internet provides huge databases which could fill spreadsheets as large as a football field, it does little good to visit such sites unless they know how to "crunch" the numbers, interpreting the huge databases with mathematical tools and reasoning. We must teach them to recognize the questions which reside within such data collections along with the skills to pose and explore such questions.
Turn off autoloading of graphics by going to the OPTIONs menu and clicking on "Autoload Images" so the check mark disappears. This will speed access dramatically to this busy site.
Go with your partner to the New Haven County and Fairfield County - Connecticut County Data available from the US Census.
1) Use the USA Counties General Profile information about these two counties in Connecticut to decide which one you might prefer as a place to live: Fairfield County and New Haven County. Write your choice and reasons in your learning log.
2) Which are the most important numbers? Why? Could you chart them? How would a chart help to crunch the numbers?
3) In your learning log, write your thoughts about the following: What does it mean to "read" numbers?
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Copyright, 1996, Bellingham Public Schools. All rights reserved. These lessons may be copied by non-profit, public learning institutions only for use with their own staff. All other purposes are expressly prohibited without explicit permission. .
Revised 3/3/99