Math 103 - Cooley Statistics for Teachers OCC
Classroom Activity #3 – Hollywood’s Top Ten
In this lesson, students discover the top ten highest grossing movies of all time in the United States. Students organize data to display their results.
v Learning Objectives
Students will:
· gather data on the top 10 highest grossing movies.
· make a bar graph and a pictogram based off the data obtained.
v Materials
· Internet (optional)
· Microsoft Excel (optional)
· Hollywood’s Top Ten Activity Sheet
v Instructional Plan
1. Have students try to guess what they think the top ten highest grossing movies of all time. Have them write them down.
2. Instruct students on how to obtain Internet access. (As an alternate you could provide the
information in advance).
3. Have them go to Movieweb at the following address: http://www.movieweb.com/movie/alltime.html
4. After obtaining data for the top 10 movies, have them set up a bar graph with the titles (and release
years) along the horizontal axis and the receipts (in millions) along the vertical axis. (Discuss the
scale that would be the best for the vertical axis. Answer should be in 100’s)
5. Have the students set up a pictogram with the same data.
6. If possible, show advanced students how they can make a pictogram in Microsoft Excel. Directions for making a pictogram in Microsoft can be found at the following address: http://teach.fcps.net/trt10/Documents/Pictogram.pdf
7. When graph is completed, pass out worksheet.
v Extensions
1. Make a line graph with the years along the horizontal and the receipts along the vertical.
2. Repeat this lesson in 2-3 months to see how much the receipts had gone up, and if any new movies had entered the top ten.
v NCTM Standards and Expectations
Data Analysis & Probability 3-5
1. Represent data using tables and graphs such as line plots, bar graphs, and line graphs.
2. Collect data using observations, surveys, and experiments.
Data Analysis & Probability 6-8
1. Select, create, and use appropriate graphical representations of data, including histograms,
box plots, and scatterplots.
v References
This lesson was obtained from the SCORE Mathematics website. (http://score.kings.k12.ca.us/lessons/hollywood.html)
This lesson has been modified by TopCatMath.com. Originally created by David Highbaugh.
Hollywood’s Top Ten Activity Sheet NAME ______
After completing your bar graph, answer the following questions:
1. How much more money was made by the top movie than the second one?
2. What year were more top ten movies made?
3. Find the mean gross receipts for the top ten movies. Round off to the nearest million.
4. Is this average approximately the same as the median of the top ten movies made?
Why or why not?
5. What is the mode of this data? Why?
6. Why did this web site choose not to adjust their figures for inflation?
7. What category of movie seems to be the most prevalent?
8. If you were a movie producer, what kind of a movie would you want to make to bring in the most money? Why?