Contextualization
Pie charts, also known as pizza charts, are a graphical representation where data is divided into categories represented by 'slices' of a circle, whose areas are proportional to the quantities they refer to. These charts are widely used in various areas, such as statistics, as they allow an immediate perception of the proportions between different categories, making it easy to compare them.
In general, pie charts are used to represent percentage data, as the sum of the areas of all 'slices' always corresponds to 100% of the circle. This allows anyone, even without technical knowledge in the field, to quickly understand the proportions between the quantities represented.
Pie charts are a powerful tool for interpreting and analyzing data, and it is crucial to know when and how to use them. Understanding these skills is a key piece in the formation of any student, as besides being an important resource in math classes, it is also very useful in many other disciplines, and even outside of school, in everyday situations.
The importance of pie charts lies mainly in their ability to visually represent data and information clearly and efficiently, facilitating understanding and analysis. These charts are frequently used in research, reports, presentations, and news, providing a quick and easy-to-understand view of the data distribution.
Moreover, knowing how to interpret and analyze pie charts is an essential skill for life in society, as they are widely used in various areas of human activities. We can find examples of pie charts in newspapers, magazines, textbooks, the internet, and television, for instance, to represent opinion poll results, elections, population statistics, among others.
To deepen your knowledge about pie charts, I recommend reading the article 'Pie Chart: What It Is, How to Make It, and Examples' available on the Mundo Educação website [1] and watching the video lesson 'How to Create a Pie Chart in Excel?' available on the Curso em Vídeo YouTube Channel [2].
These materials provide detailed explanations and step-by-step instructions that will help you better understand the concepts and the importance of pie charts in our society.
References:
[1] Mundo Educação - Pie Chart: What It Is, How to Make It, and Examples (https://www.mundoeducacao.com.br/matematica/grafico-pizza.htm)
[2] Curso em Vídeo - How to Create a Pie Chart in Excel? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3eBvJKpqoA)
Practical Activity: 'The Mathematics Behind Pizza'
Project Objective
The overall objective of this project is to strengthen students' ability to create, interpret, and analyze pie charts. Students should build a pie chart from a set of data collected by them regarding a question or issue of their interest and subsequently analyze the results.
Project Description
In this activity, groups should develop the project in three stages: data collection, chart construction, and results analysis. Students must choose a theme of their interest, such as the favorite pizza flavors in the class, and conduct a survey to collect the data. Then, using this data, each group should build a pie chart. Finally, students must analyze the results obtained, interpreting the pie chart and drawing conclusions.
Required Materials
- A4 paper sheets;
- Pencils, erasers, and rulers;
- Spreadsheet software (Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, etc.);
- Data collected from the students' survey.
Project Step by Step
Step 1 - Data Collection:
- Groups should choose a theme for their survey and formulate a question related to that theme. Example question: 'What is the favorite pizza flavor of the students in the class?'
- Conduct the survey with the students in the class and record the obtained data.
Step 2 - Chart Construction:
- Based on the collected data, students should fill out a table in the spreadsheet. The table should include all categories (e.g., pizza flavors) and the number of responses for each category.
- Using the chart function of the spreadsheet software, students should create the corresponding pie chart.
Step 3 - Results Analysis:
- Students should analyze the results obtained in the pie chart. The proportion between categories should be discussed, and an attempt should be made to understand the reason for this difference.
- Each group should draw conclusions about the results found.
As part of the deliverables for this project, each group must prepare a written report containing the following sections:
- Introduction: Description of the chosen theme, project objectives, and its relevance.
- Development: Explain the theory of pie charts, detail the data collection, chart construction, and methodology used.
- Results and Discussion: Present the created chart and the analysis of the results, discussing the inferences and conclusions drawn.
- Bibliography: Indicate the sources they relied on to work on the project, such as books, web articles, videos, among others.
The group should organize to divide tasks among members, promoting collaboration and teamwork. The project duration is one week, and each student should contribute two to four hours of work.
The final report should reflect the students' understanding of pie charts and their application in data interpretation, demonstrating their analytical skills and logical reasoning. Additionally, students should demonstrate, throughout the project, socio-emotional skills such as time management, communication, problem-solving, creative thinking, and proactivity.
