Quantitative Literacy
How to complete this assignment: Open the United States Bureau website. (Links to an external site.) 1. Click on the tab PEOPLE at the top of the page and then click on 2010 census home. (Note- you may find the 2010 census data in other tabs as well. It doesnt matter how you find it, just that you find it). 2. Using US census data available on the US census website, select 2 Pennsylvania counties and find data for several (approximately 5-6) the following: Median income Mean income Educational level Family size Number of children Occupational category of population age 16+ older Percentage of married people Percentage of single head of households Racial-ethnic composition Age distribution Unemployment rate Poverty levels Industry Percentage of foreign born residents Percentage receiving public assistance Look critically at the data. Look for similarities and differences between the counties. 3. Create charts in Excel to illustrate the data you have collected. Be sure to appropriately label each chart and make the charts meaningful by grouping related concepts (i.e. educational level, income, and employment or family size, number of children, and poverty level). 4. Next, based on the data you have captured and put into charts, (and after examining the data) develop 2 questions about these two counties. For example: Why are the educational levels higher in county X and in county Y? What has contributed to higher levels of unemployment in county Y than county X? 5. Finally, write a 2-3 page paper (in APA style) in which you do the following: Describe the 2 counties. Using the charts you have created in Excel (and be sure to include them in this paper!), explain what these charts show and what the similarities and differences are. Explain the answers to your questions. Finally, what dont you know about these counties that you wish you knew? What questions do you still have about these two counties?
