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ATL
Information literacy skills: Collect and analyse data to identify solutions
Critical-thinking skills: Interpret data
In French writer Jules Verne's novel Around the World in Eighty Days (first published 1873) the Englishman Phileas F099 and his assistant Passepartout embark on an adventure to win a wager (a bet) that it is possible to circumnavigate the Earth in eighty days. This might seem quite a long time to us, but at the time of writing the world was just beginning to be connected by new transportation systems such as railways, steamships or balloons.
A journey graph can be used to show the change of position with time of an object. Table 1.2 shows some distances, times and locations for journeys made by Phileas Fogg and Passepartout.
1 Individually, complete the blank columns in Table 1.2.
2 Use an online or other world map to determine the coordinates of all the places listed.
3 Now use an online route planner or map app to estimate the distances between the places.
4 By hand with millimetric graph paper, or using a spreadsheet (see below!), draw two axes:
the x-axis showing time in days
the y-axis showing distance in kilometres (km)
The origin of the graph will be the starting point for Phileas and Passepartout’s adventure.
5 Plot the different destinations on the graph for their journey around the world. Remember that each new destination becomes the starting point for the next journey! Figure 1.15 shows how to begin this.
Figure 1.15 Journey graph
Now interpret the graph and summarize your answers in a paragraph:
What was the total distance travelled by Fogg and Passepartout?
Which part of their journey took the longest time?
What was the total displacement of Fogg and Passepartout at the end of their journey?
Which part of the journey was the fastest?
Explain how you can deduce this from the graph.
Which part of the journey was the slowest?
Explain how you can deduce this from the graph.
How accurate is our graph as a representation of Fogg and Passepartout's journey? Outline any factors it might ignore.
Assessment opportunities
In this activity you have practised skills that are assessed using Criterion C: Processing and evaluating.
Using a spreadsheet to draw graphs
ATL • Information literacy skills: Understand and use technology systems; Present information in a variety of formats
In the Around the world in eighty days activity we represented information using a journey graph. It is often a good idea to do this by hand, because working this way encourages you to think about what the information in the graph means. However, we can also use software such as a spreadsheet to make a graph.
The exact procedure for doing this will depend on the spreadsheet app that you use, but the main steps will be the same in all spreadsheet apps.
Step 1
Each ‘box’ on the spreadsheet is called a cell and is used to hold a datum, most often a number value. Enter your data into cells in the spreadsheet in the form of a table. You can type the column headings in the first row on the spreadsheet.
Step 2
Highlight the cells that you wish to plot as a graph. Usually it is best not to include the column headings (although some spreadsheet apps will recognize these as labels). To highlight multiple columns, on a PC you can hold down the CTRL key while dragging with your mouse or finger. On a Mac, use the COMMAND key.
Step 3
Select the kind of graph you wish to plot from the relevant tools menu. For our journey graph, we will select a line graph, where all the points plotted are connected with straight lines. You can usually position the graph on the same sheet, or in a new worksheet.
Step 4
Now we need to give the graph a title, and label the axes! Different apps will do this in different ways so you may need to consult the ‘help’ function in your program.
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