Teaching young mathematicians about collecting and analyzing data allows for a variety of fun and engaging activities. Here, children observe the weather every day for a month, recording their observations in the form of a bar graph....

How do you summarize data that cannot be averaged? Using an exploratory method, learners complete a two-way frequency table on super powers. The subject matter builds upon 8th grade knowledge of two-way tables. 

Put those numbers to work by completing a statistical study! Pupils finish the last two steps in a statistical study by summarizing data with displays and numerical summaries. Individuals use the summaries to answer the statistical...

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.

Box in the similarities and differences. The 19th lesson in a unit of 22 presents class members with multiple box plots to compare. Learners use their understanding of five-number summaries and box plots to find similarities and...

Through discussions and journaling, classmates determine methods to associate types of functions with data presented in a table. Small groups then work with examples and exercises to refine their methods and find functions that work...

It is hard to determine whether there is a relationship with the categorical data, because the numbers are so different. Working with a familiar two-way table on super powers, the class determines relative frequencies for each...

Pupils analyze a display of data and review dot plots to make general observations about the highest, lowest, common, and the center of the data. To finish, learners match dot plots to scenarios. 

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...

When more basketball players are taller than field hockey players at a school, is it safe to say that in general they are always taller? The activity takes data from two college teams and your learners will be able to answer questions...

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...

Which dot am I? Pupils create dot plots to represent sample data through the use of frequency tables. The third segment in a series of 22 asks individuals to analyze the dot plots they created. The scholars translate back and...

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...

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...

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 plan...

Estimate the proportion in a population using sampling. The 20th installment in a series of 25 introduces how to determine proportions of categorical data within a population. Groups take random samples from a bag of cubes to determine...

What better way to engage children in a math lesson than by talking about ice cream? Using a pocket chart or piece of chart paper, the class works together creating a bar graph of the their favorite ice cream flavors. Learners then work...

A question to ask your class is, How fast is your Internet? That depends on the data transfer rate (DTR), which is the unit rate used in this activity. Math students will calculate how long it takes to download a music file and a video...

Will Social Security still be around when you retire? Given data on the predicted balance of the social security fund over time, scholars plot the points on a coordinate grid and determine if a quadratic regression fits the data. They...

While creating models from data, pupils make decisions about precision. Exercises are provided that require linear, quadratic, or exponential models based upon the desired precision. 

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...

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...

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 13th instructional activity 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...