D1.1 Describe the difference between qualitative and quantitative data, and describe situations where each would be used.
Activity 1: Qualitative and Quantitative Data
Present students with an illustration. Ask them questions of interest that relate to the image. For example, what is your favourite activity at the park? How many times have you been to the park this year? Who do you prefer to go to the park with (parents, friends, sisters, brothers, grandparents, etc.)? How many picnic tables are there in a playground? What are the dimensions of a swing set? Ask them whether they need qualitative or quantitative data to answer the various questions of interest.
image An illustration shows what various people are doing in a park. In the center, a person is reading under a weeping willow. All around, two people are swinging, two people are huddled on a park bench watching pigeons pecking, a man with a woman is pushing a baby carriage, a man is reading the newspaper on a park bench, two people are sitting at a distance on a park bench, one group is having a picnic on a table while another is having a picnic on the ground, another group is chatting on the ground, one person on a park bench is checking his phone, two people in wheelchairs are chatting, one man is reading on a park bench, two people are riding bicycles, two people are watching two swans floating on the pond, two people are walking a dog, and two people are lying on a towel and consulting a computer.
Ask students to formulate questions of interest related to the illustration presented. Ask them if the data they need to collect is qualitative or quantitative. Question students to determine their reasoning.
Activity 2: Examples of Using Different Types of Data in Different Contexts
Present the questions of interest below.
- How far is your school from your home?
- What store does your family go to most often?
- How high is your desk?
- How many balloons are in each classroom?
- What sport do you prefer to play at the gym?
Referring to the various questions of interest above, ask students to identify the type of data that will be collected as well as the context in which it might be used.