High School Mathematics for Students & Teachers
People Count! (and their data stories)
Mathematics and Data Science Investigations for Students and Teachers in High School and College
Applying mathematical tools to analyze a changing world.
People Count – Population Pyramid Graphs and Henry’s Quilt
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What’s this about?
People Count! (and their data stories)
(Student and Teacher Editions)
Author: Henry Kranendonk
Illustrations: Kristin Moala
Data sets: US Census BureauThis website is focused on explaining the module People Count! (and their data stories). Access to the electronic versions and the printed version of both the Student Edition and the Teacher Edition are provided in the links section.
People Count! is designed for students enrolled in a high-school algebra 2 or equivalent course, or an entry-level statistics, finite mathematics, or data science course in college. Prerequisite skills are essentially skills learned in first-year algebra courses. The latter lessons also involve applying and modifying Microsoft Excel files designed to estimate future counts of people. (It might be possible to use the files with other spreadsheet applications.)
“One… two… three…” Our earliest introduction to mathematics was counting. Maybe we counted our fingers or toes as a child, or we counted money or points scored in a basketball game, or maybe we just counted people? Counting, however, is not necessarily simple (at least accurately counting). What we count, how we count, and why we count are challenging and important questions to answer. People Count! (and their data stories) is about counting people in a country.
The United States Census Bureau produced an inspiring set of posters for classroom teachers prior to the US 2000 Census. One of these posters is especially compelling. The poster has a picture of an elderly woman and a young girl. They are wrapped in a quilt as representatives of two important generations (the young and the “old”). The picture also shows them working on expanding the quilt. The picture is a painting by a famous Hawaiian artist, Herb Kawaine Kane. The caption that accompanies the picture reads, “Generations Are Counting on You.” This poster was a major inspiration for this collection of lessons, titled People Count! (and their data stories).
Population Pyramid Graphs Converted to Histograms
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Any story of a country’s population starts with a count of the people living in the country by ages. These estimates inform both private and governmental groups of the goods and services necessary to support the population. These estimates are also critically linked to the economy, health care, education, and the infrastructure needed to connect people by roads, bridges, and airports. Counting people is a major business. As current counts are analyzed, future counts of people are estimated by making assumptions involving birth rates, death rates, and immigration and emigration rates.
People Count! (And Their Data Stories) is a collection of 16 lessons about counting people. This module evolved from several projects originating in computer science and International Baccalaureate (IB) math studies classes at Rufus King High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Working with real data, even if the data is not initially of high interest to students, brings out a response that captures students’ attention. This reaction was indeed the case with students at Rufus King. These initial lessons were expanded and refined over several years of students’ input and work at Marquette University (also located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin).
The lessons and files support the main goal of this module, namely mathematics modeling with data. Students develop, analyze, and redesign population projection models using past and present population totals by age groups to estimate future population estimates of various countries. The data was obtained from the International Data Base (IDB), a resource of the Census Bureau.
People Count and the Stories Of...
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Any small imagines that suggest people of various ages involved in shopping, or living in houses (or rental units), or medical environments, or educational settings, or other ways of suggesting the impact of age differences in a population.
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People Count explores the data behind these recent news stories and their impact on a country and the world:
Japan births hit new low
Universities divided over how to address enrollment declines
What Universities and Colleges will survive during the next 20 years
Population grows, but working-age population drops
US rate of population growth plummets
Births decline to lowest point in 40 years
On reaching 65 – US ready or not for the numbers
Why is immigration important?
The challenges of an aging population
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About
At People Count Math Projects, we take immense pride in serving our global community of friends and neighbors. Our team comprises dedicated mathematics specialists armed with invaluable tools and resources to guide you toward your learning goals. Behind every creative work we offer, you’ll find a highly trained and certified math expert. Our resources are crafted with the utmost precision to ensure your learning objectives are met. We believe in a personalized approach, so you can trust that our tools won’t deliver a one-size-fits-all experience. What sets us apart is our comprehensive coverage of various mathematical subjects. You’ll enjoy a tailor-made approach to learning math at your own pace, all while utilizing globally recognized resources. Behind every creative endeavor stands a highly trained and certified math expert. Begin your learning adventure today by taking advantage of our discreet learning tools.
For all the new ways to solve an algebraic equation, what matters is still the information or insight that the equation communicates. Education must not lose track of the core of its purpose: to prepare citizens to deal with the complexities of a world that constantly demands higher-level integrated thinking. Although the “how to’s” are important, they must also be balanced with “why?” and “for what purpose?”. The latter questions are critical for students to address as they often struggle to understand a purpose for studying investigations in mathematics and data science not anchored in a context. During my experiences as a high school and college math teacher, the most meaningful connections with my students were formed when I was able to provide a meaningful context for the topics they studied so that the purpose of their work was relevant. This is not always easy, but the effort to develop these connections is increasingly important. People Count develops a context and a purpose for studying these investigations. Begin your learning adventure today by taking advantage of the discreet learning tools.
Henry Kranendonk