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...

Based on the rate of melting observed from 2003-2007 in Greenland, it would take less than 10 minutes to fill the Dallas Cowboys' Stadium. The 17th lesson in a series of 21 has scholars use the ICESat data to understand the ice mass...

Scholars investigate the spread of associated data sets by comparing the data sets to determine which has a greater variability. Individuals then interpret the mean as the typical value based upon the variability.

Three days of race car design and driving through the classroom while guessing probability could be a third graders dream. Learn to record car speed, distances traveled, and statistics by using calculation ranges using the mean, median,...

Scale up your lessons with a performance task. Young data analysts work through an assessment task on scaled bar graphs. They answer questions about a given scaled bar graph on favorite colors, analyze a bar graph to see if it matches...

Statistics can be manipulated to say what you want them to say. Teach your classes to be wise consumers and sort through the bias in those reports. Young statisticians study different statistical reports and analyze them for...

Population density, it is not all that it is plotted to be. Pupils analyze a scatter plot of population versus area for some of the states in the US. The class members respond to eight questions about the graph, specific points and...

They say you can interpret statistics to say what you want them to. Teach your classes to recognize valid experimental results! Pupils analyze experiments and identify flaws in design or statistics. 

What would be a fair fare for a taxi? to answer the questions requires young mathematicians to analyze data on fuel prices and taxi cab fares. They determine and justify a fair fare price.

Explore models through the relevant lens of climate change! Investigators watch a video about using models and their application for evaluating temperature data and climate change. Scientists read an article on climate change and answer...

Of course, there might be a correlation! Young mathematicians investigate several different data sets, create scatter plots, and determine any correlation. They consider whether a causation exists between any of the variables in question.

Being a statistician means never having to say you're certain! Learners develop two-way frequency tables and calculate conditional and independent probabilities. They understand probability as a method of making a prediction. 

What does an animal's gestation period have to do with its longevity? Use residuals to determine the prediction errors based upon a least-square regression line. This second lesson on residuals shows how to use residuals to create a...

What exactly does sociology entail? Sociology is a broad field that covers many topics, including culture, mass media, and social movements. A helpful handout prepares scholars for typical writing found in college-level sociology...

Do all lunar eclipses look the same? Find out in an activity where astronomers use the Danjon Scale of Lunar Eclipse Brightness to describe the color and brightness of the moon during an eclipse. Explorers make three observations using...

Mortgages, payments, and wages correlate with each other. The short assessment presents scatter plots for young mathematicians to interpret. Class members interpret the scatter plots of price versus payment and wage versus payment for...

Get a line on the snakes. The assessment task requires the class to determine the species of unknown snakes based upon collected data. Individuals analyze two scatter plots and determine the most likely species for five...

Use mathematics to help plan a field trip. Scholars use the results of a survey to determine where a class should go on a field trip. They use provided data about entrance fees and mileage to calculate the cost per person of such a...

Without data, all you are is another person with an opinion. Show learners the power of statistics and probability in making conclusions and predictions. Using two-way frequency tables, learners determine independence by analyzing...

Air, air, everywhere, but what's in it, and what makes Earth's air so unique and special? Journey through the layers above us to uncover our atmosphere's composition and how it works to make life possible below. Pupils conduct...

Don't just tell class members about how to measure inflation, have them experience it firsthand by asking them to work with real data and construct graphs!

What linear equation will fit this data, and how close is it? Through discussion and partner work, young mathematicians learn the procedure to determine a regression line in order to make predictions from the data. 

Substitute this resource for what you used to use. Learners identify patterns in data tables and write addition and subtraction expressions to represent relationships. Substitution allows them to solve problems in context in the 20th...

Is it safe to take data at its face value? Pupils use the interactive to evaluate a claim that Virgos are more likely to get into a car crash than others. Individuals determine whether another variable may be at play.