Activity Introduction

Quick summary: Students will use various methods to interpret and present sets of data that relate to electrical energy usage in Australia and some countries of the Asia Pacific region. They will translate numerical data and information written in prose into data table format, revise statistical terminology and make calculations using numerical data sets.

Activity developed in partnership with tasmania_hydro_200x84_300pxl

Hydro Tasmania has been at the forefront of clean energy innovation for one hundred years. It is Australia’s largest producer of clean energy – generating hydro and wind power – and the largest water manager. Hydro Tasmania has 55 major dams, operates 30 hydropower stations and has built some of Australia’s largest wind farms.

Hydro Tasmania also sells energy in the National Electricity Market through its retail business Momentum Energy, and sells its expertise internationally through its consulting business Entura. Visit the Hydro Tasmania website to learn how the business is working towards Australia’s clean energy future.

Learning goals:

  • Students develop knowledge about handling data from numerical and textual sources.
  • Students collate and present data sets appropriate to a given purpose and audience.

General capabilities: Critical and creative thinking, Numeracy.

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability OI.8.

Australian Curriculum content description:

Year 9 Mathematics

  • Compare data displays using mean, median and range to describe and interpret numerical data sets in terms of location (centre) and spread (ACMSP283).
  • Graph simple non-linear relations with and without the use of digital technologies and solve simple related equations (ACMNA296).

Year 10 Mathematics

  • Evaluate statistical reports in the media and other places by linking claims to displays, statistics and representative data (ACMSP253).

Syllabus Outcomes: MA5.1-1WM, MA5.1-2WM, MA5.1-3WM, MA5.1-7NA, MA5.1-12SP, MA5.2-1WM, MA5.2-3WM, MA5.2-10NA.

Topic: Hydro Tasmania, Energy.

Time required: 60 mins.

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – oversee activity.

Resources required: Calculators, graph paper, rulers and pencils, Student Worksheet (one copy per student OR computers/tablets to access the online worksheet), device capable of presenting a website to the class.

Digital technology opportunities: Digital sharing capabilities.

Homework and extension opportunities: Includes opportunities for homework and extension.

Keywords: Energy, data, mathematics, Hydro Tasmania.

Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.

Worksheets

Teacher Worksheet

Teacher Preparation

Overarching learning goal: By participating in this activity students will develop knowledge about handling data from numerical and textual sources, and will collate and present data sets appropriate to a given purpose and audience.

Teacher background information: Energy is the lifeblood of our modern life. It gives us light and keeps our food fresh. It powers our industry, fuels our cars, and charges our iPhones. Our energy is produced by burning fossil fuels and this has a range of environmental, social and economic impacts. One of the most significant is the emission of greenhouse gases. A solution is the transition to clean energy sources. The brilliant thing is that we have huge amounts of free, renewable and clean supplies of natural energies. These include sunlight, wind, running water, oceans and underground hot rocks.

According to the Clean Energy Australia Report 2013:

  • 14.76% of Australia's electricity came from renewable sources in 2013: enough to
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Student Worksheet

Thought starter: Where does your energy come from?

Work on tasks 1 to 3 as a whole class exercise, then proceed to complete the remaining tasks independently.

Presenting numerical data - collating and compiling methods

When we present numerical data, it should be collated and compiled (or grouped together), then analysed.

Analysis methods

We can use a diverse range of mathematical processes to analyse data. We call the figures that result from the manipulation of data ‘statistics’. Statistical comparisons can be made by calculating various factors.

1. Test your memory of common statistical terminology. Write the terms next to their definitions.

maths1

a. Relationships between scores =

b. The middle-range score =

c. The average amount of variation of a score from the mean =

d. The average score =

e. The highest score =

f. The scope (the highest to the lowest) =

 

Presenting data

2. Create a list of statistical or representative data presentation tools.

Graphs, c

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