A curriculum calculation turns supplied numbers into another number. A health assessment is a judgement about a real person, and the exam does not ask you to make one.
This lesson closes the body-parameter measurement cluster. It uses the skills from repeated measurements.
Where is the line?
The line sits between what the numbers show and why they are that way for a particular person. The first is science you can write. The second needs information a table cannot give.
A good answer has a calculation, then a sentence that begins with “the data shows” and ends at the data.
Worked example: percentage change in pulse
A class activity records Reza’s pulse: 72 beats per minute at rest and 120 beats per minute after exercise.
Question: Calculate the percentage increase and state what it shows. (3 marks)
- Increase = 120 − 72 = 48 beats per minute.
- Percentage increase = 48 ÷ 72 × 100 = 66.7%, to one decimal place.
- Check: 72 × 0.667 = 48.0, so the answer is consistent.
Conclusion. The data shows that pulse rate was 66.7% higher after exercise than at rest in this activity.
That sentence reports the data and names the condition. It does not say Reza’s heart is strong or weak.
The mistake that costs marks
The slip is adding a verdict. Students write “so Reza is very fit” or “Reza’s heart is working too hard”.
| What the data shows | What it cannot show | |
|---|---|---|
| Pulse change | 66.7% higher after exercise | Why this person’s pulse changed this much |
| Single activity | One test, one person | What is usual for that person |
| Who to ask | The question’s own criteria | A doctor or nurse for any real health question |
If a question truly asks about health, it will supply the reference values. Use only those.
Check yourself
A student’s temperature is 36.5 °C at 0 minutes and 37.0 °C at 15 minutes in a classroom activity. Calculate the percentage increase to one decimal place and write a safe conclusion.
Answer
Increase = 37.0 − 36.5 = 0.5 °C. Percentage = 0.5 ÷ 36.5 × 100 = 1.4%.
Safe conclusion: the data shows the temperature reading was 0.5 °C higher at 15 minutes than at 0 minutes in this activity. It does not say why, and it does not show the student is unwell.
What to study next
Put all three skills together in the body-parameter measurement practice set. Keep a record of overreaching conclusions in the mistake log and paper error review.
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