Task



Name________________________________Professional Sports and Statistics-20002527940000481965020320000by John Klein, Brookfield High SchoolAdapted by Felicia Andorko, BCHS 2012IntroductionWhy do sportswriters and broadcasters discuss statistics constantly? Where do they learn about these statistics? How do they compile these statistics? In this "adventure", students will use the internet to research, compile, analyze, and present sports statistics from one of the "major sport" leagues: NFL or MLB.Statistics can be fun if they are explored within relevant topics. For the most part, today's students are both media savvy and enjoy participating in, and being fans of, athletics. In this WebQuest, students will explore methods for gathering statistics through the internet, calculating mean, median, and mode, and represent their findings to their classmates. The statistics used for this WebQuest will be compiled through team websites from the NFL and MLB.TaskThe first decision each group must make is, "Which professional sport do we want to explore: NFL or MLB?" Keep in mind, there are 32 NFL teams and 30 MLB teams. Therefore, your group will be exploring (roughly) the same amount of teams, regardless of which sport you choose. After your group comes to a decision, you must visit the team websites to explore and compile offensive statistics from the 2011 season.After you collect the data from the websites, you will calculate mean, median, and mode for each statistical category. Both the original data and your calculations will be presented to the class using Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, or Excel. Note: If your group would rather use an alternate method of presentation (for instance, authoring a web page), be sure to get permission from your teacher.3171825342900014001753048000ProcessTask 1: Choose a SportChoice #1NFLChoose an offensive skilled position you are interested in. The offensive skilled positions are: Quarterback (QB), Running Back (RB), Wide Receiver (WR) and Tight End (TE). Once you have decided upon a position you will explore. Visit all 32 team websites and access the statistics from the "starter" at the position you chose. If you are unsure which player on the roster is considered a starter, find the player at the position you chose, who generated the most statistics during the 2011 season. If you are still encountering problems, consult the "two-deep roster". Most teams will include this on their team website. The "two-deep roster" is a list of the starters and their back-ups. You can access every team's website through the official website of the NFL: If you chose QB, you will look at the following statistics: attempts (ATT), completions (COMP), yards (YDS), touchdowns (TD), and interceptions (INT).If you choose a RB, WR, or TE, you will look at the following statistics: attempts (ATT), yards (YDS), yards per attempt (YDS/ATT), longest run/reception (LONG), and touchdowns (TD).After you have compiled the statistics from your 32 players, calculate the mean (average), median, and mode for each statistical category.Choice #2MLBChoose a position you are interested in. The positions are: Catcher (C), First Base (1B), Second Base (2B), Short Stop (SS), Third Base (3B), Right Field (RF), Center Field (CF), and Left Field (LF). You cannot choose Pitcher (P). Some teams use a Designated Hitter (DH) for their Pitchers. Therefore, some Pitchers generate no offensive statistics. After your group has decided upon a position you will explore, visit all 30 team websites and access the offensive statistics from the "starter" at the position you chose. If you are unsure which player on the roster is considered a starter, find the player at the position you chose, who generated the most statistics during the 2011 season. If you are still encountering problems, consult the "two-deep roster". Most teams will include this on their team website. The "two-deep roster" is a list of the starters and their back-ups. You can access every team's website through the official website of the MLB: will look at the following statistics: at bats (AB), runs (R), hits (H), homeruns (HR), and runs batted in (RBI).After you have compiled the statistics from your 30 players, calculate the mean (average), median, and mode for each statistical category.Task 2: Consider these tips and tutorialsNo matter what sport your group chooses, you will be exploring, compiling, and representing a vast amount of statistics. Therefore, as a group, you may want to decide which group member will be assigned to which teams. For instance, if your group has four members and chooses to evaluate statistics from the 32 NFL teams, it would be wise to assign 8 teams to each group member. After each individual member has completed their portion of the assignment, the team can work together to compile all their findings.Another helpful tip is that your groups will produce a worksheet that each member can use to record data from their assigned teams. The worksheet can easily be produced using Microsoft Excel or you can download and use the one provided. For instance, if your group has three members and you choose to evaluate statistics from the 30 MLB teams, then each member will be responsible for ten teams. The worksheet can easily be organized to contain player names in the first column and their statistics in subsequent columns.You can calculate the mean on an Excel spreadsheet by going to the top right hand side and clicking the right hand bottom corner of summation symbol (Σ) and choosing average.You can help find the median and the mode by first putting the numbers is order. Go to and paste one list of statistics at a time. When you hit alphabetize, the numbers will be in numerical order. You may print or copy and paste the now ordered umbers onto a Word document. From here, you should be able to easily find the median and the mode.Below are some internet tutorials regarding mean, median, and mode if you need to review these topics.Tutorial #1Tutorial #2Tutorial #3Task 3: PresentationFinally, your group must present its findings to the class. The presentation must include raw data (each individual player's statistics) and mean, median, and mode for each statistical category. Now, the group must decide upon the program and the method for representing your findings. As I stated previously, you may use Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, or Excel for your group's presentation. These programs can easily present data in numerous methods, so be creative! If you choose to use an alternate method to present your findings, be sure to get permission from the teacher, in advance.EvaluationThis is how your work will be evaluated.Beginning1Developing2Qualified3Exemplary4ScoreStudent Identifies Needed Internet ResourcesRequires considerable assistance to identify resources.Requires prompting but no additional assistance.Requires no prompting or assistance.Identifies additional, relevant internet resources without prompting or assistance.Student Accesses Needed Information from Internet ResourcesRequires considerable assistance to identify appropriate information.Requires prompting but no additional assistance.Requires no prompting or assistance.Identifies additional, relevant information without prompting or assistance.Student Gathers and Compiles Appropriate Data from Needed Internet ResourcesRequires considerable assistance to gather and organize data.Requires prompting but no additional assistance.Requires no prompting or assistance.Identifies additional, relevant methods for gathering and organizing data.Student Understands Proper Calculation of Mean, Median, and ModeRequires considerable assistance to perform calculations correctly.Requires prompting but no additional assistance.Requires no assistance other than the provided tutorials.Identifies additional resources and applies them correctly or requires no assistance to perform correct calculations.Student Uses Appropriate Resources to Present their FindingsRequires considerable assistance to effectively present findings.Requires prompting but no additional assistance.Requires minimal assistance to use appropriate programs in order to present findings.Demonstrates creativity and insight in presentation methods or provides additional, relevant methods for presenting findings. Student Displays Ability to be a Productive Team MemberHas difficulty interacting productively with team members.Requires encouragement to interact effectively with team members but no additional assistance.Interacts with team members effectively and shoulders responsibility to accomplish the objectives of the assignment.Accepts leadership role and effectively demonstrates ability to lead, engage, and mentor team members.ConclusionAs you have probably noticed, statistics can illustrate trends in athletics. If a team possesses an excellent win-loss record, it usually compiles excellent statistics; if a team compiles excellent statistics, it usually is reflected by a superior win-loss record. As a very intelligent coach once said,"Statistics are nothing but a mirror image of a team's success"—Ed Klein (the author's Father)If you have an interest in exploring statistics in sports further, the following websites may provide some interesting information: the topic interests you, be sure to perform some additional research on careers that incorporate sports statistics: Team Statistician, Sports Analyst, Media Specialist, and Sports Information Director. ................
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