GapMinder Assignment

Go to http://www.gapminder.org/world/
- On the y-axis, pick a category that interests you from the drop-down menu. On the x-axis, chose time.
- Using the menu on the left, pick the country of your choice.
- Track data beginning in 1870 and collect data points for even numbered years. If the category youve
chosen doesnt have data for that far back, you may begin in 1900. This does limit your choices (for
example, data on HIV begins in the 1980s, so this is not a good choice).

Once youve gotten your GapMinder scatterplot, break up the graph into appropriate pieces.
Based on the look of the data, determine the regression equation that will be the fit best linear,
quadratic, or exponential. Perform the regression for each piece and give the equations for your data.
Do a little research on the history of your chosen country to explain any drastic changes. Think about the
graph we looked at on # of children per woman in the US. The drastic dips and increases can be explained
by things that were happening in the country at that those times becoming a less agricultural society,
depression, war, men returning from war, women entering the workplace, etc.

How-to: Regressions on your calculator

Calculator
- Turn Calculator on.
- Clear the lists
o Press 2nd (blue button top left)
o Press the addition key
o Press the number 4
o Press enter
Screen should say ClrAllLists

Done

To graph a scatter plot

Remember, you are breaking your data into several pieces. Store your first piece (x & y
coordinates) in L1 and L2, the second in L3 and L4, etc. This way you can have the data and
equations for each stored seperately
- Press STAT (2nd row, third button)
- Press 1 Edit
- Under L1 enter the years
- Under L2 enter the data from the matching year
- Press 2nd
- Press Y=
- Choose a Plot
- Press On
- Type: Scatterplot (the 1st graph)
- XList: L1
YList:L2 (or whichever lists you stored them in)
- Press Zoom, scroll down to 9:Zoom Stat and press Enter (You should see a group of points on
your graph)
To find the equation for your regression line/curve
-

Press STAT
Press the right arrow key until CALC is highlighted
Choose your regression (4:Linear, 5:Quadratic,
0:Exponential)
Again XList:L1 YList:L2
Leave FreqList blank
Store RegEQ: any blank Y=
(to do this, press Vars, Y-Vars, Function, then
choose one of the functions). Choose a different Y=
for each piece of your graph
Press Calculate

What to turn in:

Your choice of country/category and why you chose them (very brief).
A screenshot of your Gapminder graph (see previous page)
Your regression equations, with the domains, describing how you split the data.
A description of the growth/decline of your data.
Possible historical explanations for what the data reveals.
List of Sources
Using each of your equations, make a prediction for the year 2020. How different are they? What do you
think?

DUE: THURSDAY, NOVEMEBER 6TH