Candy is Dandy
Summary:
This lesson shows students the benefits of using graphs to communicate information, answer questions, and solve problems as they investigate color distribution in bags of M&M's. Working with actual bags of candy, students will sort and classify contents, summarize their findings on a worksheet, convert the numbers into charts, and make predictions about color distribution in other bags of candy.
Overview:
Skill Level: Challenging
Project Goals:
To introduce students to the concept of graphing,
record color distribution in spreadsheet format, and
utilize information obtained through hands-on research
and analysis to write a research report.
Prerequisite Skills:
Knows how to use Microsoft Word to create a document including formatting and editing text, and how to create a Microsoft Excel worksheet including creating formulas.
Procedure
Discussion:
Introduce students to the concept of charting and
discuss why some data collections are better represented
by bar charts, while others may be easier to interpret
as line charts or pie charts. Explain that while there
are no sure-fire rules that state which chart type
to select for a particular data set, it is important
to select a chart type which gets a message across
in the most effective way. Bar charts, for example,
allow for a comparison of values within a category,
line charts emphasize a progression of change, and
pie charts show the relationship of a part to the
whole. Tell students that this lesson requires them
to work with several bags of candy of differing weights.
They will be sorting the contents of each bag by color,
recording the number of candies for each color, and
representing observations in both a worksheet table
and several types of charts.
Description:
You are going to conduct some market research about M&M's. First, you will sort and classify the contents of several bags of M&M's, summarize your findings on a worksheet created in Microsoft Excel, convert the numbers into charts, and make predictions about color distribution in other bags of candy.
Step A
Color Distribution
Software: Microsoft Word
WHAT TO DO:
Work in pairs using several small-size bags of M&M's, or two larger-sized bags.
Before opening any bag of candy, take a guess about the colors you expect to find. Do bags of equal weight have an identical number of candies? Are all colors represented equally or are some more popular than others? Does color distribution remain constant no matter how small or large the bag?
Record your answers in a Word document and save for later reference.
Step B
Creating a Worksheet
Software: Microsoft Excel
WHAT TO DO:
Open a worksheet in Microsoft Excel. In cell A1, type the title Candy Is Dandy! In row 3 beginning in cell A3, type the headings Colors, Bag 1, Bag 2, Bag 3, Bag 4 and Average. For each of these cells, except the cell with the word "colors" add a comment with the weight of the bag. For example: Click in cell B3, which reads "Bag 1", choose Comment from the Insert menu, then type the weight in the yellow pop-up. Now, anytime you move your cursor over that cell, the weight will appear. The weight can be found on the package label.
In column A, beginning in cell A4, list all of the colors of M&M's you found in your bags.
Next, sort the list alphabetically by highlighting the cells and choosing Sort from the Data menu. Type Total in the cell below your last entry.
Now you can format your worksheet in a variety of ways. Choose AutoFormat from the Format menu and select the format of your choice! Or Format on your own by choosing Cells from the Format menu.
Step C
Adding Formulas
Software: Microsoft Word; Microsoft Excel
WHAT TO DO:
Enter the number of same color M&M's in the corresponding cells beginning with Bag 1. Use the AutoSum function to total each column.
Now, you can automatically calculate the average number
of each color per bag. Click in cell F4, then type
the formula =average(B4:E4). Highlight cells F4:F10.
Choose Fill from the Edit menu, the choose Down. Format
cells in the Average column so that a whole number
is returned (i.e. no decimal places) by using the
Decrease Decimal button on the Formatting toolbar.
Interpret your data. Are some colors more numerous? Do all bags have the same number of candies? Compare your observations with the findings of students in other groups. Are the same colors more numerous from one group to another? Is color distribution consistent in bags of differing weights?
Step D
Creating Graphs
Software: Microsoft Excel
WHAT TO DO:
Use the Chart Wizard in Microsoft Excel to produce at least two different charts
Choose the chart types that best represent the data such as bar chart or column chart. You might chart the distribution of colors in a single bag, or the total number of candies for all bags in your sample.
Highlight cells A3:E9. Choose Chart from the Insert menu. Click the Column chart type, then click the Next button. Click the Data Range tab, and be sure Columns is selected next to Series In, then click Next. In step 3 of the Wizard (Chart Options), click the Titles tab. Add titles for the chart and its axes. Click the Gridlines tab and experiment with gridline options. Choose a gridline that makes it easier to understand the data. Click Legend tab and choose a locations for the legend, then click Next.
Finally, have Microsoft Excel place the chart as an object on the original worksheet, so that worksheet entries are visible as you examine the chart.
Step E
Writing the Report
Software: Microsoft Word
WHAT TO DO:
Students can use Word to describe the research project, the procedures they employed to sort and count the candies, and what the data reveals about candy colors and color distribution.
Students should compare their initial hypotheses about the average number of candies per bag and the expected color distribution with actual survey results have them copy and paste spreadsheet and chart data into Word where appropriate.
Reports should discuss the advantages/disadvantages of representing data in spreadsheet tables, column charts, bar graphs, or pie charts. When is it best to use one chart type instead of another? What is the value of using more than one bag of candy to conduct this experiment?
Lesson Expansion:
Encourage older students to summarize their research
findings in a letter to the Consumer Affairs Department,
M&M/Mars, Hackettstown, NJ 07840-1503. Students
can use Microsoft Word's Letter Wizard to get started.