Downloadable versions of this activity are available in the following formats:
Let’s ask this in a nicer way:
Does foot size increase with height and do boys have bigger feet than girls?
Let’s use some data from Census at School to find out.
On page 2, there is a table using data on height, foot size and gender. These data were taken from 60 randomly selected student records in the UK database.
- Draw a scatter graph with the X axis representing foot length and the Y axis showing height. (X scale from 14 to 30 , Y scale from 110 to 190)
- Mark boys and girls with different symbols or in different colours on your graph.
- Don’t forget to give a title to the graph and label the axes and add a key.
After admiring your handiwork try looking carefully at your graph and write a few conclusions.
- Can you identify any students who have particularly big or small feet for their height?
- Are there differences between boys and girls? What are they?
- Do the taller students have bigger feet?
- Is there positive, negative or no correlation?
- Can you draw in a line of best fit?
Think of some questions of your own to ask as well.
| Pupil no. | Gender | Height | Foot |
|---|---|---|---|
| cm | |||
| 1 | F | 160 | 25 |
| 2 | M | 111 | 15 |
| 3 | F | 160 | 23 |
| 4 | F | 152 | 23.5 |
| 5 | F | 146 | 24 |
| 6 | F | 157 | 24 |
| 7 | M | 136 | 21 |
| 8 | F | 143 | 23 |
| 9 | M | 147 | 20 |
| 10 | M | 133 | 20 |
| 11 | F | 153 | 25 |
| 12 | M | 148 | 23 |
| 13 | M | 125 | 20 |
| 14 | F | 150 | 20 |
| 15 | M | 183 | 28 |
| 16 | M | 184 | 25 |
| 17 | M | 125 | 18 |
| 18 | F | 140 | 20 |
| 19 | M | 170 | 27.5 |
| 20 | F | 168 | 25.5 |
| 21 | M | 131 | 23 |
| 22 | M | 149 | 23 |
| 23 | F | 156 | 21 |
| 24 | F | 130 | 19.5 |
| 25 | F | 142 | 22 |
| 26 | F | 159 | 24 |
| 27 | F | 145 | 21.5 |
| 28 | F | 162 | 25 |
| 29 | M | 149 | 22 |
| 30 | F | 169 | 24.5 |
| 31 | M | 126 | 20 |
| 32 | M | 150 | 24 |
| 33 | M | 170 | 26 |
| 34 | F | 141 | 21 |
| 35 | F | 123 | 20 |
| 36 | F | 122 | 19 |
| 37 | M | 125 | 20 |
| 38 | F | 133 | 20 |
| 39 | M | 165 | 25 |
| 40 | F | 131 | 20 |
| 41 | F | 134 | 17 |
| 42 | M | 158 | 25 |
| 43 | F | 170 | 25 |
| 44 | F | 125 | 15 |
| 45 | F | 135 | 21 |
| 46 | F | 138 | 19 |
| 47 | M | 134 | 20.5 |
| 48 | M | 145 | 22 |
| 49 | F | 171 | 25 |
| 50 | F | 181 | 24 |
| 51 | F | 139 | 19.5 |
| 52 | M | 147 | 25 |
| 53 | M | 134 | 19 |
| 54 | F | 164 | 24 |
| 55 | M | 127 | 19.5 |
| 56 | F | 138 | 23 |
| 57 | M | 180 | 24 |
| 58 | M | 159 | 26 |
| 59 | F | 151 | 23.5 |
| 60 | M | 165 | 29 |
How does this data compare with your own class data?
Reproduced with permission from CensusAtSchool – U.K.
