Learning Log: Explore data from your daily life

Overview

In a previous learning log, you reflected on how you use data analysis in your own life to make everyday decisions. Now, you’ll complete an entry in your learning log exploring data from an area of your life. By the time you complete this activity, you will have a stronger understanding of how you can apply your data analysis skills to more specific activities and situations in your life--starting with your own everyday decisions! Later, you are going to use the data you generate for this entry to practice organizing data to draw insights from it.

Create a list

Before you start, pick one area of your everyday life you would like to explore further. Think about how many times in the past few weeks you made decisions about anything related to this area. Then, create a list and include details, such as the date, time, cost, quantity, size, etc. Try to focus on things that can be represented by a number or category.

Here are a few thought-starters:

• Number of cups of coffee you drink daily
• Popular workout times at the gym
• Nightly bedtime

For example, you could create a list exploring your daily coffee intake like this:

Daily coffee intake

• Jan. 8th 8 am - bought coffee - one 10 oz. cup
• Jan. 8th 10 am - made coffee at home - one 12 oz. cup
• Jan. 9th 8 am - bought coffee - mug
• Jan 10th 11 am - bought large coffee - 20 oz.
• Jan 11th 8 am - made coffee at home - mug

This example includes a few different details like date and time, whether the coffee was purchased or homemade, and the quantity. You can choose to focus on any area of your life you want and track the details you are interested in exploring. Then, you will compile this list in a learning log template, linked below.

Reflection

To use the template for this course item, click the link below and select “Use Template.”

Link to learning log template: Explore data from your daily life

Or if you don’t have a Google account, you can download the template directly from the attachment here

After you have finished creating your detailed list exploring data from your own life, take a moment to reflect on that data. In your learning log entry, write 2-3 sentences (40-60 words) in response to each question below:

• Are there any trends you noticed in your behavior?
• Are there factors that influence your decision-making?
• Is there anything you identified that might influence your future behavior?

When you’ve finished your entry in the learning log template, make sure to save the document so your response is somewhere accessible. This will help you continue applying data analysis to your everyday life. You will also be able to track your progress and growth as a data analyst.

Practice Quiz: Get a read on your analytical skills

Question 1

Identify the pattern from left to right in the set of blocks below and try to predict which block should replace the block with the question mark.

A.

B.

C.

D.

The answer is D. Explain: This is the missing block. The pattern of the dots increases by one in each block. Therefore, the best answer has five dots.

Question 2

Here's a more complex pattern. Identify the pattern from left to right in the images below and try to predict which image should come next.

Based on the images above, which option comes next in the pattern?

A.

B.

C.

D.

The answer is C. Explain: This is the next image in the sequence based on two patterns present in the series: the number of sides and the number of dots. Moving from left to right, both decrease by one. Given these patterns, if the previous block contained a shape with four sides and three dots, then the next shape should have three sides and two dots.

Question 3

Now, find a pattern in a different format. Select the next number in the sequence:

Fill in the blank: 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, _____

A. 33

B. 55

C. 25

D. 10

The correct answer is A. 33. Explain: The correct answer is 33. The pattern of numbers are all increasing, and the difference between each number is 4.

Question 4

The following numbers are in a sequence from left to right. Determine the pattern and decide which number should come next:

Fill in the blank: 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, _____

A. 62

B. 64

C. 81

D. 30

The correct answer is B. 64. Explain:

The next number in the series is 64. There are two patterns in the sequence. One is that each number is squared and then the number being squared is increased by one (e.g., 2², 3², 4², 5², 6², 7²). The second pattern is in the difference between the numbers in the sequence: 9 - 4 = 5, 16 - 9 = 7, 25 - 16 = 9, and so on.

Question 5

The following question is about recognizing and matching patterns in shapes that are the same, but viewed from different angles.

Two shapes are similar when one can become the other after a rotation clockwise ⟳ or counterclockwise ↺, or a reflection horizontally ↔ and/or vertically ↕.

Your task is to choose the figure that completes the statement. Pay attention to the pattern by which the first and second shapes are related, and then figure out which choice matches shape 3. Fill in the blank:

Select the image below that completes the statement.

A.

B.

C.

D.

The correct image is D. Explain: This image completes the statement. The first image in the statement is reflected in the second image. To complete the analogy, the answer would be an image that is a side-by-side reflection of the third image.

Question 6

The following question is about recognizing and matching patterns in shapes that are the same, but viewed from different angles. Two shapes are similar when one can become the other after a rotation clockwise ⟳ or counterclockwise ↺, or a reflection horizontally ↔ and/or vertically ↕.

Your task is to choose the figure that completes the statement. Fill in the blank:

Which image completes it?

A.

B.

C.

D.

The correct image is C. Explain: Since the pattern in the first image was rotated 90 degrees counter-clockwise, this image completes the statement.

Question 7

The following series of codes are in a sequence from left to right. There is a repeating pattern that you will notice. Determine the pattern and decide which code should come next.

Fill in the blank: A1, B3, C5, D7, E9, F11, G13, _____

A. H16

B. H15

C. D17

D. J15

Explain: The patterns of this series include the letters listed alphabetically and the numbers increasing by two with each new set. Therefore, following that pattern, the next code would be H15.

Question 8

The following series of codes are in a sequence from left to right. There is a repeating pattern that you will notice. Determine the pattern and decide which sequence of letters should come next.

Fill in the blank: A, AA, AAA, B, BA, BAA, BAAA, BB, BBA, BBAA, BBAAA, BBB, ________

A. BBBB

B. BBAA

C. BBAAA

D. BBBA

The correct answer is D. BBBA. Explain: The pattern in this sequence follows the letter A. A is added until there are three As, which is when the letter B takes the place of the previous As, and the pattern continues. Therefore, BBBA is next in the series.

Question 9

Now, identify patterns in a word problem using a data visualization. There are 12 chocolates in a box: eight have caramel filling, six have coconut filling, and two have both caramel and coconut filling. Choose the best image that describes this box of chocolates.

A.

B.

C.

D.

The correct diagram is D. Explain: This diagram depicts six chocolates with caramel filling only, four chocolates with coconut filling only, two chocolates with both caramel and coconut filling, and the total number of chocolates is 12.

Question 10

There are 10 children in a class and they have all brought sandwiches for lunch: five children have sandwiches with peanut butter, six children have sandwiches with jelly, and three children have sandwiches with both peanut butter and jelly.

Find out how many children have sandwiches with neither peanut butter nor jelly and choose the image that describes the situation best.

A.

B.

C.

D.

The correct image is D. Explain: In this diagram, there are six sandwiches with jelly, five sandwiches with peanut butter, and three sandwiches with both. This means that there are (5 + 6 - 3 = 8 ) eight sandwiches with either peanut butter or jelly. There are a total of 10 children. Consider: 10 - 8 = 2. This means two children have neither peanut butter nor jelly in their sandwiches.