Page 27 - THE MATHMATE November 2024

(4) Start drawing the kite. Put points both above and below the midline to correspond with the
number of individuals. Use this formula: (data point / 2) / # individuals per square.
o Example 1: If 1 square = 2 individual squares and your data point is 8, then (8
individuals / 2) / 2 individuals per square = 2 squares. To represent 4 of the 8
individuals above the midline and 4 below the midline, put a point at 2 squares above,
and a point at 2 squares below your group name. This represents all 8 individuals.
o Repeat for all your data points, figuring out how many squares are needed above and
below the line to represent each data point that you have, and drawing in a point on the
kite diagram graph. Because you did your largest data point first, there should be plenty
of room for all the other data points using the same ratio of graph squares to
individuals.
o Example 2: if 1 square = 2 individual squares, and your data point is 7 individuals, then
put a point at 1.75 squares above and 1.75 squares below the group name. How did
you figure that out? 7 individuals / 2 = 3.5, and 3.5 individuals / 2 individuals per square
= 1.75 squares.

(5) Color in your kite. Connect all points above the midline, and connect the points below the
midline, to form the kite which you can then color in. The top and bottom points of the first and
last spot on your x-axis transect can be connected vertically to make an end to the kite – you
can draw a vertical line or taper it back to meet the midline.

Scctm The MathMate 27 Volume 44/Number 1 October 2024