Studying Bivariate Data 

Math 9E Formative Assessment 

Task: 
 
You may select from one of the following two data sets to complete this assignment. You will complete 
the sections of the graphic organizer (below) to ​analyze​ the data and show i​ nsightful interpretations 
of what the data means. 
 
Data Set #11 This data set studies the effects of urbanization of stream and watershed ecosystems. You 
will compare ​column 2 (% imperv. area) a ​ nd ​column 12 (Total BIBI score).​ This is a comparison of 
impervious area vs biotic integrity. In other words, this data considers impervious area as a measure of 
development (how urbanized an area is) and how that impacts the biodiversity of that same area. 
 
Data Set #22 This data set studies how the input of heat to a power plant will correlate to the amount of 
CO​2​ that the power plant produces. You will compare ​column 2 (Plant annual heat input) ​and c ​ olumn 
3 (Plant annual CO​2​ emissions).​ This is a comparison of how much heat (energy) is put into the power 
plant and the CO​2​ output, which can be used as a way to measure the “pollution efficiency” of a power 
plant. 
 

Criterion C: communicating 
Level 1-2  Level 3-4  Level 5-6  Level 7-8 

i. Use​ limited  i. Use​ some  i. Usually ​use  i. Consistently ​use 

mathematical  appropriate  appropriate  appropriate 
language.  mathematical  mathematical  mathematical 
ii. Use​ limited forms  language.  language.  language. 
of mathematical  ii. Use​ appropriate  ii. Usually ​use  ii. Use​ appropriate 
representation to  forms of  appropriate forms  forms of 
present  mathematical  of mathematical  mathematical 
information.  representation to  representation to  representation to 
iii. Communicate  present  present information  consistently present 
through lines of  information  correctly.  information 
reasoning that are  adequately.  iii. Usually move  correctly. 
difficult to  iii. Communicate  between different  iii. Move effectively 
understand.  through lines of  forms of  between different 
reasoning that are  mathematical  forms of 
complete.  representation.  mathematical 
iv. Adequately  iv. Communicate  representation. 
organize  through lines of  iv. Communicate 
information using  reasoning that are  through lines of 
a logical structure.   complete and  reasoning that are 
coherent.   complete, coherent 
v. Present​ work that  and concise. 
is usually organized  v. Present​ work that 
using a logical  is consistently 
structure.  organized using a 
logical structure. 

1
​Kleindl, William J. 1995. A Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity for Puget Sound Lowland Streams, Washington, USA.
Thesis submitted for a Master of Science degree at the University of Washington in Seattle. Retrieved from:
http://resources.seattlecentral.edu/qelp/sets/077/077.html.
2
​US Environmental Protection Agency. (1997). Emissions and Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID).
Retrieved from: http://resources.seattlecentral.edu/qelp/sets/014/014.html.
Criterion D: applying maths in real world contexts 
Level 1-2  Level 3-4  Level 5-6  Level 7-8 

i. Identify​ some of  i. Identify​ the  i. Identify​ the  i. Identify​ the 

the elements of the  relevant elements  relevant elements  relevant elements 
authentic real-life  of the authentic  of the authentic  of the authentic 
situation.  real-life situation.  real-life situation.  real-life situation. 
ii. Apply  ii. Select,​ with some  ii. Select​ adequate  ii. Select​ adequate 
mathematical  success, adequate  mathematical  mathematical 
strategies to find a  mathematical  strategies to model  strategies to model 
solution to the  strategies to  the authentic  the authentic 
authentic real-life  model the  real-life situation.  real-life situation. 
situation, with  authentic real-life  iii. Apply​ the selected  iii. Apply​ the selected 
limited success.  situation.  mathematical  mathematical 
  iii. Apply  strategies to reach  strategies to reach 
mathematical  a valid solution to  a correct solution to 
strategies to reach  the authentic  the authentic 
a solution to the  real-life situation.  real-life situation.  
authentic real-life  iv. Explain​ the degree  iv. Justify​ the degree 
situation.  of accuracy of the  of accuracy of the 
iv. Discuss ​whether  solution.  solution. 
the solution makes  v. Explain​ whether the  v. Justify​ whether the 
sense in the  solution makes  solution makes 
context of the  sense in the context  sense in the context 
authentic real-life  of the authentic  of the authentic 
situation.  real-life situation.  real-life situation. 

Your Work Begins Here 

 
I choose Data Set : # Data set #2 
 
Identify​ the two variables that are being compared in this data. Which is the independent variable 
and which is the dependent variable? (Minimum 2 sentences) 

Independent variable: Plant annual heat input  

The power plants generates the power by its need.  
Dependent variable: Plant annual CO2 emissions 
The plant annual CO2 emissions are depended on the amount of input.  

Select​ a Global Context and e

​ xplain​ how this data relates to that Global Context. (minimum 4 
sentences) 

Globalization and sustainability: the interconnectedness of human-made system and 

communities. The relationship between local and global process. How local experiences mediate 
the global. The opportunities and tensions provided by world interconnectedness. The impact of 
decision-making on humankind and environment.  
It is related because based on our life, we can’t live without electricity. But the resources are not 
infinite, we would finish them someday. The data shows the effects of each power plants and the 
input. By looking at the graph, we can find out which power plants creates more power and less CO2. 
to make the environment and the source sustainable, the data can help us to show and make our 
decisions.  
Predict​ what kind of correlation you will find when you graph this data and ​explain​ why you think it 
will be that type of correlation. (Minimum 2 sentences) 

I think the data will be positive and the correlation will be strong. Because as the more heat input is 
created in the power plant, the more CO2 will be created too; on the other hand, when the X-axis 
becomes greater, the Y-axis will increase depends on the X-axis, so the graph could be positive. In 
addition, the numbers are quite similar, and the similar amount of CO2 are being created by the 
power plant, so the correlations could be strong, and also it is linear.  

Now use Google Sheets to ​create​ a scatterplot of your data. ​Insert​ your graph with a trendline here. 

​ ​2 ​value​? What does your R​2​ value tell you about your 
What is the ​equation​ of the trendline and the R
equation? (Minimum 2 sentences) 

Y = 0.06x 
R2 = 0.866 
The equation represents my trendline, and the R2 value shows that how fit is my trendline, the closer 
to 1, the more fit it is. Which my R2 value is 0.866, it means that my trendline is very close to fit the 
graph, and it shows a strong correlation of the graph.  

Based on your trendline, What ​predictions​ or inferences can you make about your data? Provide an 
expected value AND ​justify​ your prediction. (Minimum 4 sentences) 
● You should have at least one piece of information that would be considered interpolating. 
● You should have at least one prediction that requires you to extrapolate your data. 
 Prediction:​ if more heat is created, more CO2 will be created too.  
 
If the plant annual heat input (x) is 40,000,000, the plant annual CO2 emissions (y) will be 2,400,000.  
By using the graph, we can also estimate the Plant annual CO2 emissions depended on the plant 
annual heat input : Y = 0.06 x 40,000,000 
=2,400,000 
 
What if the plant annual heat input has increased to 65,000,000, what will happen to the CO2 
emissions? 
Y = 0.06x  
=0.06 x 65,000,000 
=3,900,000 
When the plant annual heat input is increased to 65,000,000, the CO2 emissions is also increased to 
3,900,00. That shows my prediction right. However, based on the daily life, when we used more 
energy that are generated by these nonrenewable energy, the more CO2 emissions are supposed to 
be created.  

Why might someone choose to study this data?​ In other words, what makes this interesting data 
to study? What information or deeper understanding does it provide? (Minimum 4 sentences) 

People who study about climate change might be interested in this data, because while they are 
looking for the causes of climate change or CO2 emissions that cause climate change, they could use 
this data as a source and to compare with other causes. As more energy is needed, the more CO2 
emissions might be increased by the power plant. Or people might use is to predict for the future 
need.  
On the other hand, people who concern about problems that caused by CO2 emissions and who 
write about articles might be interested in this data too. They could look at the data and show people 
about the problem and also show them about datas, to convince people to save the energy.  

What could you ​recommend as a follow-up study​? I.e.: How could your conclusions be used to help 
people make decisions or to create a new study? (Minimum 3 sentences) 

It could help predicting the CO2 emissions with the heat created. People could compare to the 
amount of CO2 emissions created by the power plant and other things, and to find out the most CO2 
emissions.