Is there a way to measure variability? The ninth resource in a series of 22 introduces mean absolute deviation, a measure of variability. Pupils learn how to determine the measure based upon its name, then they use the mean...

What is the typical length of a yellow perch? Pupils analyze a histogram of lengths for a sample of yellow perch from the Great Lakes. They determine which measures of center and variability are best to use based upon the shape of the...

Take a look at data from a statistical lens. An interactive allows pupils to enter data set, labeling the data including the units used. Manipulating the applet, learners select the statistics to calculate that include total, mean,...

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...

Young mathematicians collect data on the arm spans of classmates. Then they sort the data by measures of center, spread, and standard deviation. Finally, they compare groups, such as boys and girls, to interpret any differences. 

Students calculate the mean, median, mode, range, and interquartile range for a set of data. They create a box and whisker plot using paper and pencil and technology and determine which measure of central tendency is the most helpful in...

Students calculate the mean, median, mode, range, and interquartile range for a set of data. They create a box and whisker plot using paper, pencil and technology.

What a find! Here is a lesson, designed to meet sixth grade math Common Core standards, that focuses on the calculation of different measures of center for the scores from a penalty shoot-out competition. An independent...

The 23rd segment in a series of 25 presents random samples from two populations to determine whether there is a difference. Groups determine whether they believe there is a difference between the two populations and later use an...

How do we measure the deviation of data points from the mean? An enriching activity walks your class through the steps to calculate the standard deviation. Guiding questions connect the steps to the context, so the process...

The 13th lesson in a unit of 22 introduces the concept of the interquartile range (IQR). Class members learn to determine the interquartile range, interpret within the context of the data, and finish by finding the IQR using an...

The class gets their mean and median all in a row with an assessment task that uses a population of ducklings to work with data displays and measures of central tendency. Pupils create a frequency chart and calculate the mean and median....

Determine whether there is a difference between two grades. Teams generate random samples of two grade levels of individuals. Groups use the mean absolute deviation to determine whether there is a meaningful difference between the...

Order the data within a stem-and-leaf display. Pupils take data and create and ordered stem-and-leaf diagrams, including the key. Participants take their data and determine answers about the information. Class members then find...

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.

Use graphs to interpret life in 136 counties. Pupils analyze histograms and describe the shapes of the distributions of data collected from several counties on different aspects of life. Scholars make predictions on the difference in...

Baseball is all about statistics. Pupils solve problems related to mean, median, and range. They calculate the total weight of players given the mean weight, calculate the mean weight of reserve players given the mean weight of the...

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...

Student observes and measures the variability in the length of the forearm and the length of the foot and to test a common belief that the length of the foot is equal to the length of the forearm.

Class members study the size of classmates' feet and perform a statistical analysis of their data. They solve for central tendencies, quartiles, and spread for the entire group as well as subgroups. They then write a conclusion based on...

Get two activities with one lesson. The first lesson, is appropriate for grades 6-12 and takes about 20 minutes. It introduces the concept of measures of central tendency, primarily the mean, and discusses its uses as well as its...

What city has the most consistent temperatures? Pupils use the mean and mean absolute deviation to describe various data sets including the average temperature in several cities. The 10th lesson in the 22-part series asks learners to...

Scholars apply the concepts of box plots and dot plots to summarize and describe data distributions. They use the data displays to compare sets of data and determine numerical summaries. 

The lesson plan focuses on the ideas of dot plot representations and the mean absolute deviation of data sets.