Transcript Analyzing Community Safety Using Statistics, Representation, and

By Doug Lenseth and Eric Sposato
With new local politicians that have been elected to office combined with
the recent events that have taken place in our local communities, public
safety has become a very important issue. This lesson plan will give
students the opportunity to:
-Analyze statistics used in the media
-Recognize how statistics can be used to portray different points of view
-Connect relevant mathematical concepts with the statistics used in the
media
-Research statistical data, including the U.S. Census Bureau website
-Find supporting, or contradictory, statistical evidence of public safety in
an assigned community
-Create unique representations based on statistical evidence found during
research
-Present the evidence found using a simulation of a local news broadcast
to the class
This lesson is best suited for a seventh grade
mathematics class, but it can be used in other
grade levels, during a unit on statistics and
probability. In addition, this lesson plan can be
integrated with a social studies class in a
Mathematics Across the Curriculum project. Its
purpose is to give students the opportunity to
create their own unique representations of
statistical evidence to report on the public safety of
an assigned community using a simulated local
news broadcast. The lesson plan is designed to
work over the course of three class periods, and
Day 2 and Day 3 rely heavily on Buckingham’s
concepts of representation and simulation.

During Day 1, the teacher will divide students into groups of 3, or
4, (depending on class size) in order to analyze examples of how
statistics can be used in the media. These examples will be copies
of articles taken from printed and online newspapers. Each group
will be asked to connect its examples to recent mathematical
topics that have been covered including percentages, proportions,
probabilities, and sample spaces. These examples will cover
multiple topics including public safety, politics, weather, and
traffic violations. The students will discuss how the statistics can
be used to support various points of view and why different
points of view are presented. After the groups have shared their
examples with the class, the teacher will review the mathematical
concepts that were discovered to show how statistical data could
be used as evidence. Then, the teacher will assign a local
community to each group and provide directions for Day 2 and
Day 3 of the lesson plan to the students.

Day 2 will take place in a computer lab. The teacher will
introduce each group to online statistical data sources,
including the U.S. Census Bureau. Each group has been
asked to research the community that was assigned to them
in order to find statistical evidence that would support, or
contradict, the level of public safety in a given community.
After the raw statistical evidence is gathered, the groups are
required to translate this raw data into presentable forms
using percentages, proportions, probabilities, and sample
spaces. Students are encouraged to create their own unique
representations of public safety in their community with
statistical evidence that supports those representations.
After the students have gathered their information, they will
have about a week to collaborate and prepare for the
simulated news broadcast on Day 3.

Day 3 will occur in the classroom, and the groups will present their
information to the class using a simulated news broadcast. Since this will
take place in the classroom, there will be no actual production equipment.
Instead, the students will be asked to role-play as news anchors in order
to present the level of public safety in their assigned communities to the
“audience”. During the presentations, students who aren’t presenting will
evaluate the other presentations. After the students have given their
presentations, the teacher will discuss with the class how the media can
shape the way that information is presented by choosing specific statistics
that can support, or contradict, a certain point of view. In addition, the
teacher will discuss how even though statistics can be objective when
considered alone; they can become subjective when they are used out of
context to support a certain perspective. Finally, the teacher will ask the
students if they think that the media uses statistics to portray specific
points of view, and if the students will question the statistics that they
regularly hear and see in the media. Finally the students will be
required to write a reflection on the production process and on one
group’s presentation, which will be due the next class.

Students will be assessed in two ways. First, each
group will be asked to submit a written summary of
the presentation, which includes detailed calculations
of the mathematics evidence used. The mathematics
content will be assessed using accuracy, variation, and
relativity. The mathematics accuracy will be measured
by how the raw statistics were translated into
presentable information, and if they truly represent
what they are intended for. The variation will measure
the different types of statistical evidence used, i.e.
probabilities, population densities, proportions,
percentages, graphs, area, etc. And, the relativity will
be measured based on how well the mathematical
evidence supports the representation claimed by the
group. Each dimension will be graded on a 1-5 scale.

Second, each group will be graded on its presentation. Since
this grade will be more subjective, its dimensions will
include: providing a clear representation about the nature of
public safety in each community, using mathematical
evidence to support a stated representation, allowing all
group members to participate, fulfilling the time constraints
of the presentation, and creating an accurate simulation of a
news broadcast. This will also be the criteria that other
students use to evaluate the presentations. Using a 1-3 point
scale, this presentation will be scored out of 15 points. Also
an individual reflection on the production process and on
another groups presentation will be required worth a total
of 20 points. As a result, the whole project will be worth 50
points



Copies of printed an online news articles
Computer lab with internet access
Overhead projector (for presentations, if
necessary)

News Article Examples and Questions for Students
Public Safety – Community A has reported 25 robberies during the past year, and Community B
has reported 48 robberies within the past year. The population of Community B is more than twice as
large as Community A. Which is the safer community? Do we need more information? If yes, then
what additional information do we need?
Politics – In Greene County, Newspaper A claimed that Barack Obama was supported by 48% of
the vote; however, Newspaper B claimed that Barack Obama was supported by 53% of the vote. The
mean percentage of the vote that supports Barack Obama in Greene country is 52% with a 5% percent
error. Which newspaper is more accurate? Why wouldn’t a newspaper use the mean percentage?
Why do you think there is there a difference in reporting between the newspapers?
Weather – A local weatherman claimed that since there was a 50% chance of rain on Saturday
and a 50% chance of rain on Sunday, then there was a 100% chance of rain for the weekend. Is this
accurate? Consider the addition rule of probability P(A U B) = P(A) + P(B) – P(A ^ B). How do you
think weathermen come up with the percentage chance of precipitation? Do you think they use
mathematics to determine it?
Traffic Violations – The New York State Police released its yearly percentages of speeding tickets
on the NYS Thruway from Exit 17 to Exit 24. Drivers speeding between 66-70 mph were stopped 8%
of the time; drivers speeding between 71-75 mph were stopped 17% of the time; drivers speeding
between 76-80 mph were stopped 38% of the time; drivers speeding between 81-85 mph were stopped
67% of the time; and drivers speeding over 85 mph were stopped 95% of the time. How did the police
officers collect this data? What does this data represent?

General Questions
-What kind of mathematics do you see in these
examples?
-How do you think that this information is gathered?
-Are there different ways to present information
using mathematics?
-What other examples have you seen where the
media uses mathematical evidence?
-Can math in the media be presented objectively?
Why or why not?

Group Directions (Given on Day 1, but applicable to Day 2)
“You are a member of the Action 7 news team, and you have been asked to report on the public safety of
Community X. Using mathematical evidence gathered in your research, you have been asked to report on the
nature of public safety in your community on the Action 7 10 o’clock News next Thursday.
We will be spending a class in the computer lab to research the statistics that you will need for your mock
news report which will occur next Thursday. This project will include a written summary of your news report,
which will show all of the calculations of your gathered data, a “newscast” where you will present your
information to the class, and an individual reflection to be handed in after the presentations. The summary
should be no longer than 2 double-spaced pages, the presentation should between 8-10 minutes, and the
individual reflection should be about 1-2 double–spaced pages. You are encouraged to present the information
using any point of view that you’d like as long as your statistical evidence supports your argument. Be sure to
think about:
-Using percentages, proportions, areas, population densities, probability, and comparative statistics in your
presentation (graphs are always helpful)
-The message that you wish to convey based on your research
-How you want to design your newscast

Your group will be graded on the following criteria for the written summary: mathematical accuracy, types of
statistics used, and relevance. The summary should be clear and well written. The written summary will be
worth 15 points and the presentation will be worth 15 points , while the reflection will be worth 20 points for a
total of 50 points. Be creative, and good luck!”

Statistical Sources
U.S. Census Bureau
http://factfinder.census.gov/home/s
aff/main.html?_lang=en
U.S. Department of Justice
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/
NYS Division of Criminal Justice
Services
http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/cri
mnet/ojsa/stats.htm
FedStats
http://www.fedstats.gov/

General Questions
-What concepts do you need to keep
in mind when collecting data?
-What are the easiest pieces of
information to look for?
-What is the difference between
good data and bad data?

Presentations
Students who aren’t presenting will
have the responsibility of evaluating
those who are presenting based on
the rubric we will be using to assess
them, minus the participation
criteria. Students will also be
required to write a reflection about
the presentation process and also on
one of the other presentations and
what message they thought that
group was trying to convey.

General Discussion Questions After
the Presentations
-Were you surprised by the
evidence that you found?
-What do you think about how the
media can use statistics to shape
their own points of view?
-Is the media always objective?
-Will you interpret the statistics
used in the media any differently
after this project?
-How can two different media
organizations report on the same
event, but send completely different
messages? Why do you think they
would do this?
-What is the most important thing
you learned about the media over
the last three class periods?
Written Summary
Mathematical Accuracy
12345
Variation of Statistics Used
12345
Relativity to Presentation
12345


Presentation
Clear Representation
123
Use of Mathematical Evidence
123
Participation
123
Time
123
News Broadcast
123
Written Reflection
-Reflection on the production process will be
worth 10 points.
-Reflection on viewing another group’s
presentation and writing about the meaning
they got out of their presentation based on the
statistics they presented will also be worth 10
points.
Note: Both these parts will be written as one reflection, so the total
amount of points for the reflection will be 20 points
This lesson plan gives students an opportunity to use mathematical evidence in order to
create their own unique representations not unlike how the media creates
representations for viewing audiences. Using representations is one of Buckingham’s
key concepts, and this lesson plan can show students how statistical data can be used in
a variety of ways to portray different points of view. In addition, Buckingham also
mentions how simulations can be beneficial to students by giving them an opportunity
to experience what an actual production would be like.
Yes, there is no actual production equipment for this lesson plan. However, students are
responsible for presenting a simulated local news broadcast based on the representations
that they created. Since there is a tremendous amount of responsibility associated with
representations that are distributed through mass media channels, students will need to
carefully think about how they want to shape their presentation for their “audience”,
another one of Buckingham’s ‘key concepts’.
Integrating representations and simulation into this lesson plan is beneficial for students
because they can appreciate the power and influence that the media has. Since students
can use statistical evidence in any way that they choose, as long as it supports their
representations, then they can see how the media can shape the message that they want
to deliver by selecting specific information. By asking the follow-up questions at the end
of Day 3, we feel that our students might question statistics in the media a bit more after
this project based on their own research and experience.

The following are some of the NCTM Standards that
will be followed in this lesson:
• formulate questions, design studies, and collect data about a characteristic shared by two populations or
different characteristics within one population
• select, create, and use appropriate graphical representations of data, including histograms, box plots, and
scatterplots.
• find, use, and interpret measures of center and spread, including mean and interquartile range;
• discuss and understand the correspondence between data sets and their graphical representations,
especially histograms, stem-and-leaf plots, box plots, and scatterplots.
• use observations about differences between two or more samples to make conjectures about the
populations from which the samples were taken;
• make conjectures about possible relationships between two characteristics of a sample on the basis of
scatterplots of the data and approximate lines of fit;
• use conjectures to formulate new questions and plan new studies to answer them.
• understand and use appropriate terminology to describe complementary and mutually exclusive events;
• use proportionality and a basic understanding of probability to make and test conjectures about the
results of experiments and simulations;
• compute probabilities for simple compound events, using such methods as organized lists, tree diagrams,
and area models.
Source: http://standardstrial.nctm.org/document/chapter6/data.htm