Statistics Education Web
Saga of Survival (Using Data about Donner Party to Illustrate Descriptive Statistics)
What did gender have to do with the survival rates of the Donner Party? Using comparative box plots, classes compare the ages of the survivors and nonsurvivors. Using the same method, individuals make conclusions about the gender and...
Statistics Education Web
Consuming Cola
Caffeine affects your heart rate — or does it? Learners study experimental design while conducting their own experiment. They collect heart rate data after drinking a caffeinated beverage, create a box plot, and draw conclusions. They...
Statistics Education Web
Did I Trap the Median?
One of the key questions in statistics is whether the results are good enough. Use an activity to help pupils understand the importance of sample size and the effect it has on variability. Groups collect their own sample data and compare...
Statistics Education Web
Now You SeeIt, Now You Don't: Using SeeIt to Compare Stacked Dotplots to Boxplots
How does your data stack up? A hands-on activity asks pupils to collect a set of data by measuring their right-hand reach. Your classes then analyze their data using a free online software program and make conclusions as to the...
Achieve
BMI Calculations
Obesity is a worldwide concern. Using survey results, learners compare local BMI statistics to celebrity BMI statistics. Scholars create box plots of the data, make observations about the shape and spread of the data, and examine the...
EduGAINs
Data Management
Using a carousel activity, class members gain an understanding of the idea of inferences by using pictures then connecting them to mathematics. Groups discuss their individual problems prior to sharing them with the entire class. The...
EngageNY
Mid-Module Assessment Task - Algebra 1 (module 2)
A mid-module assessment uses two multi-part questions to measure progress toward mastery on descriptive statistics standards. Each part of a question addresses a single standard to help determine mastery.
EngageNY
Measuring Variability for Skewed Distributions (Interquartile Range)
Should the standard deviation be used for all distributions? Pupils know that the median is a better description of the center for skewed distributions; therefore, they will need a variability measure about the median for those...
EngageNY
Summarizing Deviations from the Mean
Through a series of problems, learners determine the variability of a data set by looking at the deviations from the mean. Estimating means of larger data sets presented in histograms and providing a way to calculate an estimate round...
EngageNY
Interpreting the Standard Deviation
Does standard deviation work for non-symmetrical distributions, and what does it mean? Through the use of examples, high schoolers determine the standard deviation of a variety of distributions and interpret its meaning. Problems require...
EngageNY
Distributions and Their Shapes
What can we find out about the data from the way it is shaped? Looking at displays that are familiar from previous grades, the class forms meaningful conjectures based upon the context of the data. The introductory lesson to descriptive...
EngageNY
Describing the Center of a Distribution
So the mean is not always the best center? By working through this exploratory activity, the class comes to realize that depending upon the shape of a distribution, different centers should be chosen. Learners continue to explore the...
EngageNY
Estimating Centers and Interpreting the Mean as a Balance Point
How do you balance a set of data? Using a ruler and some coins, learners determine whether the balance point is always in the middle. Through class and small group discussions, they find that the mean is the the best estimate of the...
EngageNY
End-of-Module Assessment Task - Algebra 1 (Module 2)
Check for understanding at the end of your descriptive statistics unit with an end-of-module assessment. It uses five questions to measure progress toward mastery of descriptive statistics standards. Each question is developed to address...
EngageNY
Comparing Distributions
Data distributions can be compared in terms of center, variability, and shape. Two exploratory challenges present data in two different displays to compare. The displays of histograms and box plots require different comparisons based...
Curated OER
Describing Data
Your learners will practice many ways of describing data using coordinate algebra in this unit written to address many Common Core State Standards. Simple examples of different ways to organize data are shared and then practice problems...
Mathematics Vision Project
Module 8: Modeling Data
Statistics come front and center in this unit all about analyzing discrete data. Real-world situations yield data sets that the class then uses to tease out connections and conclusions. Beginning with the basic histogram and...
Georgia Department of Education
Math Class
Young analysts use real (provided) data from a class's test scores to practice using statistical tools. Not only do learners calculate measures of center and spread (including mean, median, deviation, and IQ range), but also use this...
Curated OER
Pi Day: The Other Math Holiday!
Happy Pi Day! This collection of games, experiments, and activities leads participants through an exploration of the many aspects and attributes of that mysterious quantity, pi. Activities range from using statistical experimentation to...
The New York Times
Understanding the Mathematics of the Fiscal Cliff
What exactly is the fiscal cliff? What are the effects of changing income tax rates and payroll tax rates? Your learners will begin by reading news articles and examining graphs illustrating the "Bush tax cuts" of 2001 and 2003. They...
National Research Center for Career and Technical Education
Architecture and Construction: Stair Construction
Within the context of the construction industry, algebra pros begin to calculate slope from the sizes of stair steps. This is a terrific lesson, especially for aspiring engineers. Just be aware that it might be a stretch to meet all of...
Curated OER
Representing Data 2: Using Box Plots
What information can be gleaned from a box and whiskers plot? Discuss the five summary values - minimum, maximum, upper and lower quartiles, and median - and what conclusions can be made from these values? Included here is a matching...
Curated OER
Representing Data 1: Using Frequency Graphs
Here is a activity that focuses on the use of frequency graphs to identify a range of measures and makes sense of data in a real-world context as well as constructing frequency graphs given information about the mean, median, and range...
Georgia Department of Education
The Basketball Star
Have learners use math to prove they are sports stars! Assess a pupil's ability to create and analyze data using a variety of graphs. The class will be motivated by the association of math and basketball data.