One of the most important things to evaluate when reading a science passage is to determine whether the data being discussed comes from an observational study or an experimental study. Observational Studies An observational study is quite simple. You are simply observing and recording something you are interested in, without manipulating (changing) anything. One way to think about observational […]
Thinking About Groups Every day, we make thousands of observations about the world and our surroundings. You notice that your favorite bubble gum from Brand A is usually much sweeter than the one from Brand B. You talk to your friends about how this year’s incoming freshman class seems taller than the previous class. You
What is Correlation? If you have never heard of the word “correlation,” can you find a word that you recognize within it? Perhaps the word “relation” might catch your eye. A correlation is the fancy term in statistics that is used to describe the relationship between two variables. You can find the correlation, or the
In the last section, we became familiar with the data from Table 2; now let’s see if we can figure out how to systematically break it down into subgroups! Step #1 – Trends in Broader Groups: Gender If you look at Figure 3, we went ahead and crossed-out different parts of Table 2 to better
Let’s say after reading the results from the observational study in Practice Passage #1, Greendale High School asked the scientists to repeat the study, but this time also measuring total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol from the women’s varsity teams as well. Instead of looking at all five sports, only three sports teams were studied. The data
Types of Summary Statistics Have you ever looked up and read the summary of a book you had to read for your literature class? Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone. Summaries are useful because you can get the main points of the book without having to read the whole book. Summary statistics serve the same purpose
Now that you are armed with some basic understanding of what exactly is being compared, it is time to actually look at the data. Humans are habitual creatures and we live by patterns. The world is full of patterns, and we have been exceptionally good at spotting them and describing them. Mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology…
Instructions: Read the study below keeping in mind our three main tips for “reading with purpose”. After you’ve read the passage try and answer the three questions: 1. Which groups are being compared? 2. Which metrics (characteristics/properties) of the groups are being compared? 3. Is this an observational study or an experimental study? COVID-19 The
Let’s try another practice. Practice Passage #2 is from a real study conducted by real scientists from the Netherlands, and I’ll be honest, the topic might sound a little silly. Be sure to keep in mind the three things you want to look for even if you do not understand every single word. Instructions: Read
