Execution Chart Comparisons

Start with this graph, which shows executions per million people:

Then contrast it to this graph, which shows the total number of executions:

You could also start with the first chart, and ask, "which country has the highest number of executions?" And then follow with "what would we need to know in order to figure this out?" Students could then use population counts from each country to sort out the data for themselves. 

Although the data is about death and a potentially difficult subject, students will be using mathematics to make sense of a complex issue which they might feel very strongly about. 

source: http://imgur.com/a/SYIwN