MDM4U

Major Statistics Project Overview January 2025

This culminating project covers the following expectations from the Ministry Curriculum Document:

Overall:
 Design and carry out a culminating investigation that requires the integration and application of the knowledge
and skills related to the expectations of the course
 Communicate the findings of a culminating investigation

Specific:
 Pose a significant problem of interest that requires the organization and analysis of a suitable set of data form
either a primary (you collect) or secondary source (get from an existing database)
 Design a plan to study the problem
 Gather data related to the study of the problem
 Interpret, analyze and summarize the data related to the problem
 Draw conclusions from the analysis of the data
 Compile a clear, well-organized and detailed report of the investigation

Report

 A report (not an essay) is to be handed in. Follow the structure provided in the package and rubric.

 The report is to include:

 Graphs, computer screen shots, mathematical equations
 The data collected
 etc.

 The report must be typed, and all parts done on Google Docs via your student Google account as provided by
Simcoe County District School Board.

 This is your best work ever. You are 12U students. My expectations for the report are very high. When I read
your report, I should say to myself: “WOW! They’ve worked hard and this is the best work I have ever seen
from them.”

 A breakdown of how the report should be organized is included

Notes on past experiences

 Remember that your project is an investigation not a proof. I do not expect you to be able to prove or
disprove your topic. All I require is an investigation to the best of your ability. If you find a correlation value of
zero and you thought it would be one this is OK and you do not need to pick another topic.

 Do not automatically calculate every value and state them. You must decide which values you should
calculate. When it is calculated, you must discuss what the value means to your investigation (i.e. do not find a
mode if it doesn’t make sense to find a mode).

 Make sure your graphs are appropriate for your topic. Do not automatically make a frequency table, graph it
and make a cumulative graph. It might be more appropriate to show the data in chronological order.

 THINK about the values calculated and what you are investigating. Always remember to discuss
everything you calculate. Don’t tell me how you calculated it or what it is, tell me why it’s important to
your investigation!!

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The Report
A report is essentially a summary of facts about a topic. The annual report of a company gives all the financial facts
and summarizes (explains) the business conducted by the company in a given year.

A report is based on an investigation and, like the formal essay, is intended for a specialized audience. Reports
contain very few opinions (personal or others). The organization of a report is very straightforward.

The labeled sections of your report must be:

Content Example
1. Title Page  Self explanatory Baseball – How to WIN!
2. Table of  Gives page numbers for all main parts and
Contents all parts of the body
3. Summary  What is the problem A summary of what your report is,
 What plan did you use to investigate it? even the conclusion!
 What data was collected?
 What did you find out (conclusion?)
 (do this last)
4. Investigation  Thesis – Main topic of report Success depends on team salary the
 Hypothesis – what do you believe the most, so the higher the team salary,
relationship is and why the more success it will have.
 Give a detailed description on how the data
was collected. Variables include: team statistics
 Describe your intended population and if from 1990 to 2010: wins, salaries,
used, the sample, the sampling method, and batting averages, # of walks, # of
how the sample was chosen homeruns, # of hits, ERA, # of runs
 Include questionnaire sheet if one was used. per game, # of runs given up per
 Give precise instructions for how things game, etc. I collected from
were measured, etc. www.mlb.com,
 Define your variables www.statsguy.baseball.com,
 Guideline: Min 100 linked data values www.si.com, etc. by… because…

5. 1-Variable  Both your independent and dependent Frequency tables, graphs, etc. with
analysis variables are analyzed supporting reasoning.
 Display data as frequency tables, graphs,
(Sub headings etc. Team Salaries ranged from….
could be each of  If there are many pages of raw data, include
your variables) all the raw data as an appendix at the end of Average Salary was… with a SD of
the report. BUT the data documentation …
(i.e., frequency tables, graphs, etc.) must be
included in the report not in an appendix. This was interesting because…
 Discuss interesting statistics you found
about your variables and relate them to your
hypothesis
6. 2-Variable  This is where you test your hypothesis by Two-variable may include:
analysis performing a 2-variable analysis Wins vs salary, batting average,
 Discuss findings walks
 Investigate sub-question (if applicable) Salary vs hits, walks, batting average
 Identify and discuss any extraneous Etc.
variables
7. Conclusion  A summary discussion and/or interpretations Yes, it does BUT it doesn’t have the
of the facts presented. greatest impact. # of walks does
 Further extensions are discussed (how (what a surprise!). But better
would you change/extend what you have players that get more hits and walks
done). will have higher salaries. How this
impacted…

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 8. Evaluate/Reflect  Give an honest overview detailing how your Difficult to measure effect of salary
investigation went (what problems/issues because better players (more hits,
you ran into and how you could avoid these higher batting average) get higher
problems/issues if you did your project salaries.
again). Waited until last minute even with
Mr. Wilson warning me not to…
9. Bibliography/  Bibliography page containing web sites, www.mlb.com
Appendix books, magazines etc. www.statsguy.baseball.com
 You can choose your bibliography style (i.e. www.si.com
MLA), but make sure you follow it Sports Illustrated, June 2009
throughout your references
 Appendix includes raw data (i.e. completed
surveys, excel raw data, etc…)

Project Development Flowchart (advised)

Research a problem

State a hypothesis

Decide how to
collect the data
Refine the problem

Collect the data

Is there enough
Represent data
yes data? no

1-variable stats

2-variable stats

Explain results
Write report Hand in report
thoroughly

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Project Development
Step 1 – Choose your Topic

1. Write down 3 topic questions (hypotheses). You will be choosing one of these for your major project so choose
topics that interest you. The topic must focus on a social justice issue.

Legal Political Economic Environmental

• Access to justice • Right to vote • Poverty • Access to green spaces

• Freedom from prejudicial • Right to hold office • Exploitation • Access to clean

persecution environment
• Representation • Economic disparity
• Upholding of civil rights • Corporate environmental
• Social support • Job security responsibilities

• Peace (freedom from war • Housing

and oppression)
• Food security

You can use the following lenses to frame your report; race, gender, class, location, or indigenous.

2. After each topic question, write a short paragraph of the data you will search for, where you will search, factors,
problems or concerns you will need to worry about with each topic.

3. Hand this in through D2L for discussion by Monday, Jan. 6th @ 11:30 AM
We will conference together to decide on the topic and how to proceed.

Examples:
 Infant mortality rates versus countries GDP per capita
 Income versus education level
 Food security versus inflation

Step 2 – Collect Data (can be most time consuming portion!)

1. Search for data or create a survey and then collect the data
2. Import the raw data in to a spreadsheet.
3. Display the information using charts, graphs, whatever is applicable.

Possible websites for secondary data:

1. Gapminder https://www.gapminder.org/
2. Statistics Canada https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/start
3. Other reliable websites
Primary data: You must design a survey and collect the results to complete your analysis. Please keep in mind how
you want to analyze the data when designing your questions. Also try to make questions easy to answer and not too
personal to maximize your responses.

You should aim to have data collection done by Thursday, Jan. 9th.

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Step 3 – Analysis of Data (Write your report!)

1. Complete a 1-variable statistical analysis. Discuss aspects of each variable that you found particularly interesting

2. Complete a 2-variable statistical analysis. This is your support to your prediction. Don’t draw any conclusions to
your prediction here (save that for your conclusion and analysis section!)

Step 4 – Question your Analysis

1. Decide if you have supported your topic. If yes, write your conclusion. If no, then: (a) get more data; (b) modify
data and repeat analysis; or (c) complete steps necessary for you to support your topic. It is possible that you may
not be able to prove your topic. The intent of the major project is to investigate a topic. In your conclusion, your
may state that you cannot prove it but that you have the following investigation results.

2. At this point, if there are various ideas you wish to try out include them in your report and your presentation. Ideas
such as what would happen if I removed the outliers even though I know that there isn’t a reason? What would
happen if I only looked at European countries? What would happen if I split the data into two parts rich and poor
and completed the analysis on each part? How would they compare? What would happen if? After you have
completed the overall analysis take some time and try out various subsets of the overall analysis that interest you.

Step 5 – Conclusion and Analysis of Project

1. At this point, your analysis is complete, so write your conclusion. Discuss specifically how your prediction was
supported/contradicted using findings from your report.
2. After the conclusion, complete an honest overview detailing how your investigation went (what problems/issues
you ran into and how you could avoid these problems/issues if you did your project again, can your data be used to
make predictions?).

Hints for Project Report

4. You are expected to compile a clear, well-organized, and fully justified report of your investigation and its results.
Follow the report layout given earlier.

5. Your report will be assessed for its mathematical validity. This project is your opportunity to demonstrate your
understanding of the skills and concepts of the course.

Use the following checklist on this page to ensure that your report is a high quality mathematical product.

 Mathematical terminology is used correctly throughout.

 Mathematical terminology is used consistently throughout.
 Mathematical notation is used correctly throughout.
 Mathematical content is correct.
 Mathematical content is complete.
 Mathematical development is logical.
 All important steps in mathematical developments are included.
 Any assumptions used in your analysis are explicitly stated.
 Any limitations of your analysis are identified.
 Any limitations of your analysis are explicitly stated.
 Possible extensions of your analysis are identified.
 Possible extensions of your analysis are discussed.
 Conclusions follow logically from your analysis.

6. Make sure to have a friend proofread your report.

7. The presentation and layout of the report are important. Remember the easier it is for me to follow/understand the
better the mark will be.

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Proposal and Conferences
Outlines your topic, plan, and approach to the investigation. This allows me to see that you are making use of class
time.

Report

You must SHARE the Google Doc and any Google Sheets with jaedwards@scdsb.on.ca

Presentation
This will be a maximum 15-minute presentation including time for the class to ask you questions. You will be evaluated
by the teacher and your peers. You may use a digital presentation platform of your choice, including Google Sheets.
Make sure to submit/share your presentation with the teacher.

Notes:

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