You have seen how the internet moves data and how search engines rank pages. Today you turn that outward. You will pick a real problem near you, dig into an Irish data source for real numbers, and frame that problem as something a program or a website could help with.
The table you build today is the evidence behind the proposal you will pitch next, so keep it honest and keep it safe.
A problem worth solving is one that affects real people, shows up in real numbers, and might be helped by a program or a website. A vague grumble is not enough. You need evidence.
Your job today is not to solve the whole problem. It is to gather numbers, spot a pattern, and write a clear problem frame you can defend.
Your teacher will model one short path on the board first: one real reading, what the pattern might mean, and what a small program could do. Follow that path, then choose your own angle.
Choose one problem angle that matters near you, and one Irish data source that could speak to it:
- GAA fixtures and results, for problems about sport schedules, travel, or who gets to take part
- met.ie weather data, for problems about rain, storms, school events, or outdoor plans
- Dublin Bikes station data, for problems about empty docks, full stations, or getting across the city
Write the source and the problem angle at the top of your notes.
Your teacher will share the exact pages, links, or projected source you may use today. Open your source first, find a real number, then record it. Do not type a guess.
Open the interactive table and record what you find, one row per reading.
- Source — where the number came from (for example met.ie, or a named Dublin Bikes station)
- What I measured — the thing you checked (for example rainfall in mm, or bikes free right now)
- Value — the number, with units that make sense
Aim for at least four completed rows before you chart, so the chart can show a pattern rather than a single lucky number. Keep the same kind of measure across your rows so the chart compares like with like, for example bikes free at four named stations, home fixtures for four clubs, or rainfall in mm for four places or days.
What the data actually says
Chart the values you recorded.
- Look at the shape of the chart, not just the biggest bar.
- Does the pattern match what you expected, or something else?
- Say it in one sentence you could defend: what the chart shows, and who it affects.
Keep the table. It is the evidence for your proposal next time.
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