Homer's Paycheck and Stats Predictors Homework NAME_________________________________
In lab on Monday, we are going to fill out a tax return for Homer Simpson. First we need his paycheck information.
  1. Note that if you search with
    Homer   Simpson*
    then you come up with way too many web page links to click on, so you need more effective searching. The * after Simpson so that it will return pages with Simpson, Simpsons, or Simpson's in them. I.e. Simpson* in a search directs the engine to find pages with anything after Simpson.
    I suggest that you include
    -1010
    in your effective search, since this will eliminate all of the pages with the word 1010 in them (otherwise you will find this assignment sheet). The point of you searching yourself instead of having me just tell you is for you to improve your web searching skills (which will only happen with lots of practice for different searches).
  2. Once you have found promising website links, then you can click on a link to go to that page. It would take a long time if we had to read through entire web pages to find info we want. There is a better way:
    Searching within a web page Under EDIT, go to FIND..., type in one word you want to find in a web page.
    Searching within an adobe acrobat .pdf file If the file is a .pdf file, then Edit/Find won't work. But, just above the page itself, look for the BINOCULARS, and click on them. Then type in the word you want to find in the page (for example, paycheck or gross pay) and then click on FIND.
  3. Open up a web browser and go to www.google.com. Use effective searching techniques to find a web page containing Homer's full paycheck info (this must include Gross Pay, Net Pay, AND FICA).
  • Write down Homer's complete paycheck information (this must include Gross Pay, Net Pay, AND FICA, but you should also write down the rest of the paycheck info too).








  • Write down the web address of the web page that contained Homer's paycheck.

  • Write down the exact searching words (blah "something else"...) that enabled you to find the web page by searching www.google.com

  • Write down the word that you used to find the paycheck within the web page or adobe file (#2 above).

  • We have discussed linear regression and the idea of predictors. Search the web, newspapers, or magazines to find a news article that discusses how something may "cause" or predict something else. Write down the source reference and the date the news article appeared in print or on the web.



  • Critique the information in light of classroom discussions and homework readings (sample size, whether enough information was given, whether an indication of r2 was given...)



















  • We have discussed polls and polling practices. Search the web, newspapers, or magazines to find a news article that discusses a poll. Write down the source reference and the date the news article appeared in print or on the web.



  • Critique the information in light of classroom discussions and homework readings (sample size, whether enough information was given).