Suicides and suicide rates

Overview

In this activity, students create a bar chart using the table titled ‘Suicides, and suicide rate, by sex, by age group'. After creating their graphs, students engage in class discussion about suicide and distinguish differences between the sexes. This lesson plan uses Summary tables.

Contributors: Linda McCormick and Nadia Beckford, Education Communications, Dissemination Division, Statistics Canada.

Objectives

• To construct a bar chart.
• To gain knowledge of the different rates of suicide for men and women.
• To discuss alternatives to suicide.

Suggested grade level and subject areas

Intermediate
Family Studies, Mathematics, Health

Materials

• Student worksheet.
• A current copy of the "Suicides and suicide rate, by sex and by age group" table.
• Computer access (optional).

Resources

• Suicide in Canada's immigrant population The Daily. March 29, 2004.
• Health Reports: How Healthy are Canadians? The Daily. March 31, 2000.
• National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth: transition into adolescence. The Daily. July 6, 1999.

Classroom instructions

1. Distribute the "Suicides and suicide rate, by sex and by age group" table to the class.
2. Review the table, pointing out the most recent column of data. Highlight the rate for females and males of different age groups.
3. Review how to create and label a graph.
4. Have students work independently, to create a bar chart of the male and female suicide rates for the different age groups.
5. Once they finish, discuss the suicide table. For instance, ask why suicide rates are higher for males in all age groups. Discuss alternative behaviours to suicide.
6. At the end of class, ask students to hand in their graphs to be evaluated.

Evaluation

Teachers mark graphs for neatness (i.e., title, x- and y-axis, source) and correctness — 10 marks

Please e-mail comments or examples of how you used this exercise in your class.