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Data Interpretation Project Guidelines

Texas Border Socio-Economics

Project # 2

[Revised: October 11, 2008]

 

The Assignment

This project utilizes data drawn from the U.S. Census.

The student will turn in the following items:

  • Part One requires a table (see example provided) and a summary.
  • Part Two asks that the student for two line graphs and two summaries.
  • Part Three requires two bar graphs and two summaries.

Submission

The student can submit this project in written form or in electronic form attached to an e-mail.  Please read the general project guidelines for further information on how to submit the projects.

Example of the final project (Click here)

 

DATA TABLES
Table # 1a

Per Capita Income (Unstandardized)
Table # 1b

Per Capita Income (Standardized)
Table # 2

Poverty Rates
Table # 3

Unemployment Rates

Map of the Texas Borderlands

 

Part 1  (20%)

Economic indicators for the Texas border suggest the the Border is much poorer than the rest of Texas and the U.S.

Choose one Texas Border County. 

1a.   Create Table (15%)

Create one table that summarizes per capita income (use standardized per capita income data), poverty rates, and unemployment rates.  Include in your table, data for the Texas border county, the State of Texas, and the U.S.    Use 2000 data.  

Title

 

Standardized Per Capita Income

Poverty Rates

Unemployment Rates

Your Border County

 

 

 

Texas

 

 

 

United States

 

 

 
Source:

1b.  Summary (5%)

Write a one-paragraph summary of your findings.

Part 2 (40%)
Standardized Vs. Unstandardized Income

Click Here for a Discussion of Standardized Vs. Unstandardized Income

Part 2 asks the student to notice the difference between standardized and unstandardized income data.

2a.   Graph standardized and unstandardized per capita income data for the United States (15%)

Using data from Tables 1a and 1b, create a line-graph that summarizes standardized and unstandardized per capita income data for the U.S. for 1960 through 2000. 

The graph will have two lines, one for standardized data, the other for unstandardized data.  There will be six data points for each line (1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 1996, 2000)

 

 

Excel Charts and Graphs

Internet students will have to prepare electronically generated charts which they can attach to an e-mail message.

Click here for the Guidelines
for Creating Graphs in Excel

2b.   Summary (5%)

Write a one-paragraph summary that describes the graph in Part 2a.

2c.   Graph standardized and unstandardized per capita income data for one Texas border county(15%)

Make another line-graph that summarizes standardized and unstandardized per capita income data for the Texas border county chosen in Part 1 above. 

2d.   Summary (5%)

Write a one-paragraph summary that describes the graph in Part 2c.

Part 3 (40%)

Part 3 asks the student to compare socioeconomic data of all Texas border counties with the same data for the U.S. and the State of Texas.  Use 2000 data for Part 3 of this project.

3a.   Per Capita Income (15%)

Make a bar graph that compares 2000 per capita income data (standardized) in Texas and the U.S. with per capita income in all Texas border counties.

See the example graph below.

Example using 1990 data

3b.   Summary (5%)

Write a one-paragraph summary of the findings in Part 3a.

3c.   Unemployment and Poverty Rates (15%)

Create a bar graph that compares 2000 unemployment rates and poverty rates in Texas and the U.S. with unemployment rates and poverty rates for all Texas border counties.  See the example graph below.

Example using 1990 data

3d.   Summary (5%)

Write a one-paragraph summary of the findings in Part 3c.