Student worksheet 3

A. Predicting monthly variations in Canada's imports

1. State your prediction:
   
   Some of the products that Canada imports vary throughout the seasons.
   1. For example, in what month do you think we import the most fruits?
      
      
      
   2. In what month or season do you think we export the most natural gas to the United States?
      
      
2. Complete the table below:
   • Complete columns A and B in the table below, stating your prediction (best guess) of the calendar month in which we import the most and least of the specific products.
   • Complete columns C and D in the table below, based on the results you obtain using E-STAT. See E-STAT instructions below the table.

   Table for Exercice 2

   Product	A. Import the most	B. Import the least	C. E-STAT results — Import the most	D. E-STAT results — Import the least
   Fresh fruits and berries
   Fresh vegetables

B. Graphing monthly variations in imports using E-STAT

E-STAT instructions:

1. From the E-STAT sidebar, select Search CANSIM.
2. In order to complete columns C and D (above), enter the table number 228-0001 in the search field and click Search. (The title of the table is "Merchandise imports and exports, by major groups and principal trading areas for all countries, monthly (dollars)").
3. Under Geography, select the default, Canada.
4. Under Basis, select Customs.
5. Under Seasonal adjustment, select Unadjusted.
6. Under Import and export major commodity groups and principal trading areas, select:
   
   • Imports, Major group 2.3 Fresh fruits and berries and
     
   • Imports, Major group 2.5 Fresh vegetables.
   HINT: With a Windows-based browser, you can select multiple non-adjacent items by holding down the "Ctrl" key while clicking on your selections. With a MAC-based browser, you can do this by holding down the "Command" key while clicking on your selections.
7. Under Reference period: select From: 2000 to the most current time period.
8. Click Retrieve as individual Time Series.
9. Under SCREEN OUTPUT formats select the default, Line graph and click Retrieve now at the bottom of the page.
10. To change the title, click Modify graphic at the bottom left of the graph.
11. Type Imports of fruits and vegetables in the title box.
12. Then click on Replot. 
    Which product has more variation or change over the seasons?
    
    
    Why?
    
    
    
13. You can print or save the line graph.
    HINT: With a Windows-based browser, right click on the graph and select Copy. Then open a word processing document and go to Edit-Paste. With a Mac-based browser, you can click on the graph and drag it into the word processing document.
14. To answer the following questions, go back to SCREEN OUTPUT formats and then change the output format to HTML Plain Text, Series listed individually and click Retrieve now at the bottom of the page.
15. Based on reading this table, in what season does Canada have the highest imports of these products and why?
    
    
    
16. In what season does Canada have the lowest imports of these products and why?
    
    
    
    
17. Record this information in columns C and D in the table above.
18. Read the table and check the answers you recorded in columns C and D of the table above based on reading the bar chart.