Name: Cassidy Jessen Research Collection/Check List

Line project: Objectives: To understand how trends occur naturally in everyday life. Your goal is to create an
analysis over a trend and make a prediction after your observation. A line of regression or best fit line is a tool to
be used to make knowledgeable predictions. You will be researching a topic of interest and using Excel to show
your trend. In a final paper, you will gather all of the knowledge you have acquired and write a formal and wise
prediction based off of the trends and facts you learned. AIM TO BE PUBLISHED!!
Checklist of Tasks:
Pick a topic of interest
What is the topic/trend will be analyzing?
Gold
What is your previous knowledge on this topic?
Gold is a chemical element. It is shiny, soft, and dense. Gold has been a symbol of money or
wealth.
Do you have any predictions about this trend?
It will continue to rise
Identify the main criteria/variables that you will use to identify the trend and explain why you
chose to look at that particular criteria. For example, with global warming, I could use winter
average temperatures over the last 50 years and the summer average temperatures over the last 50
years. It would give me the ability to see what is happening to our temperatures over a long range
time period during our extreme seasons. I also know they keep record of these averages.

Find at least three resources. Record and organize the data you found at these resources. If you want,
you can use Attachment B to help organize your resources and your finds.

Checklist of contents in your paper
Enter your data into a table using Excel
Create a scatter plot using the link above
Make TWO copies of this titled and labeled scatter plot in your Excel spreadsheet
Use Excel to calculate a best fit line on ONE of these scatter plots: http://www.excel-
easy.com/examples/trendline.html
The other scatter plot, you will insert a line of your own manually with the best reasoning
you can. Now you have two scatter plots: One with a line you drew and calculated the
equation for AND one Excel created and calculated the equation. Paste these to a word
document.
Analyze the best fit line calculations by comparing and contrasting the differences.
Research data and find Excel or you are the better judge of the trend?
Explain which model you think is better and use it to make a prediction about the future
USING YOUR MODEL.





RUBRIC
Mult 3 2 li
Model 1:
Scatter Plot
1 All points plotted by hand
accurately and neatly. Titles
and labels are accurately
descriptive.
One point is not plotted correctly
or the plot is not done neatly or
the title or labels are not complete
Two or more errors in
plotting, or neatness, or
title or labels
Model 1:
Line of best fit
logical placement
1 The line has a good balance
of points above and below it
with consideration given to
the distance above or below
The line has a good balance of
points above and below it but the
distance of the points from the
lines doesnt balance.
The line does not have a
good balance of points or
distance
Model 1:
Line of best fit
accurately
calculated
2 All calculations are labeled,
neatly organized, complete,
and accurate
One calculation is not labeled, or
not neatly organized, or not
complete, or not accurate
Two or more items are
missing or not organized,
or not complete, or not
accurate
Model 1:
Predictions

2 All three predictions are
included, accurate, and their
meaning is well explained
One prediction is not accurate or
the meaning is not well explained
Two or more predictions
are not accurate or the
meanings are not well
explained
Model 2:
Accurate
1 All data was entered
accurately and the model
was generated accurately
One data point was not entered
accurately
Two or more points were
not entered accurately
Written Model 1:
Process

3 The process was accurately
described step by step,
calculations were
referenced by number, all
steps are included and in
correct order.
The process had one vague point,
or one calculation was not
referenced by number, or one
step was not included, or one step
was not in the correct order
Two or more pieces were
missing or vague.
Written Model 1:
Interpret Key
Features within
context
3 All key features were
correctly interpreted within
the context
One key feature was
misinterpreted
Two or more features were
misinterpreted
Written Model 1:
Explanation of
good or bad
representation
1 Explanation was logical and
supported by 2 key facts
Explanation had one vague point
or one key supporting fact was
weak.
Two or more pieces of the
explanation were vague or
one supporting fact was
missing
Written Model 1:
Are Functions
Important? Why?
2 Explanation was logical and
supported by 3 strong
examples
Explanation was logical but one
example was not strong
Explanation was not logical,
or one example was
missing
Written Model 2:
Compare

2 Two similarities and two
differences were accurately
stated and logically
discussed
Two similarities and two
differences were accurate but not
logically discussed
One or more pieces were
missing
Written Model 2:
Predictions
2 All three predictions are
included, accurate, and their
meaning is well explained
One prediction is not accurate or
the meaning is not well explained
Two or more predictions
are not accurate or the
meanings are not well
explained
Written Model 2:
Interpret key
features
3 All key features were
correctly interpreted within
the context
One key feature was
misinterpreted
Two or more features were
misinterpreted
Written Model 2:
Which is better?
Why?
2 Explanation was logical and
supported by 3 strong
reasons
Explanation was logical but one
reason was not strong
Explanation was not logical,
or one reason was missing



year



price of gold per
ounce
1 $271.04
2 $309.73
3 $363.38
4 $409.72
5 $444.74
6 $603.46
7 $695.39
8 $871.96
9 $972.35
10 $1,224.53
11 $1,571.52
21 $2,446.08
26 $3,022.98
31 $3,599.88

First Scatter Plot



Second Graph with Predicted Points
$0.00
$200.00
$400.00
$600.00
$800.00
$1,000.00
$1,200.00
$1,400.00
$1,600.00
$1,800.00
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
P
r
i
c
e

o
f

G
o
l
d

P
r
e

O
u
n
c
e

Zero Represents the Number of Years Since 2000
price of gold per ounce
price of gold per ounce
Linear (price of gold per ounce)


First Graph goes by 2 on the x-axis
Second Graph goes by 5
Both continue to increase over the years
First Graph increase by $200 on the y-axis
Second Graph increases by $500 on the y-axis

http://www.macrotrends.net/1333/gold-and-silver-prices-100-year-historical-chart





y=115.38x+23.1

Points used to find the slope (5, 600) & (10.2, 1,200)
(Point Slope Form) 1,220-600 = 600 = 115.38 (rounded)
10.2- 5 5.2
I plugged 600 in for y and 5 in for x to find b
600=115.38(5)+b
b=23.1

Prediction1: y=115.38(21)+23.1 (21, 2,446.08)
Prediction2: y=115.38(26)+ 23.1 (26, 3022.98)
Prediction3: y=115.38(31)+23.1 (31, 3,599.88)

$0.00
$500.00
$1,000.00
$1,500.00
$2,000.00
$2,500.00
$3,000.00
$3,500.00
$4,000.00
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

P
r
i
c
e

o
f

G
o
l
d

P
e
r

O
u
n
c
e


Zero Represents the Number of Years Since 2000
Gold
price of gold per
ounce
Linear (price of gold
per ounce)