Education Technology


Aurora Data Files

Activity Overview

Real world data, fresh from an Ohio school district, is used to have students model linear growth. Three files utilize the recent data to help students create their own best fit model, as well as use CAS and linear regressions.

Before the Activity

Instruction on the TI-nspire with regard to navigating through a document, entering in text and performing calculations. Students will need some instruction with regard to slope, intercept, and dragging a line to change its slope. Evaluating a function and solving an equation are also required skills.

Download the TNS files to students' handhelds before starting the activity.

After the Activity

Assessment and evaluation Each activity provides formative assessment to the teacher with the level of success of the students. Additional data can be provided to the students, and instructions about how the students can create their own data analysis document with several pages that resemble the three provided activities.

Students would be required to enter the data, create the scatter plot, fit a line by hand and/or by regression, and make predictions by function evaluation and/or solving an equation.

Activity extensions

  • Have students find their own data for nearby schools or businesses.
  • Have students produce a 'report' to the school board or an article for a newspaper that describes some trends with regard to similar issues and costs.