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...
American Statistical Association
The Mean and Variability from the Mean
Discover the mean from fair share to the balance point. The lesson takes small groups of pupils through two different interpretations of the mean, the fair share understanding of the mean, and the balance point. Scholars use the...
EngageNY
The Mean as a Balance Point
It's a balancing act! Pupils balance pennies on a ruler to create a physical representation of a dot plot. The scholars then find the distances of the data points from the balance point, the mean.
EngageNY
Describing Distributions Using the Mean and MAD
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...
EngageNY
The Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD)
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...
EngageNY
Using Sample Data to Compare the Means of Two or More Populations
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...
EngageNY
Using Sample Data to Compare the Means of Two or More Populations II
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...
Statistics Education Web
Walk the Line
How confident are you? Explore the meaning of a confidence interval using class collected data. Learners analyze data and follow the steps to determine a 95 percent confidence interval. They then interpret the meaning of the confidence...
Statistics Education Web
It’s Elemental! Sampling from the Periodic Table
How random is random? Demonstrate the different random sampling methods using a hands-on activity. Pupils use various sampling techniques to choose a random sample of elements from the periodic table. They use the different samples to...
EngageNY
Measuring Variability for Symmetrical Distributions
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...
EngageNY
Describing Distributions Using the Mean and MAD II
The 11th instructional activity in the series of 22 is similar to the preceding instructional activity, but requires scholars to compare distributions using the mean and mean absolute deviation. Pupils use the information to make a...
McGraw Hill
Lesson 12: Absolute Mean Deviation
Learn a different way to determine variability. An informative instructional activity provides directions on how to calculate the mean absolute deviation of a data set. Pupils use examples to learn the process and then practice finding...
EngageNY
Describing Center, Variability, and Shape of a Data Distribution from a Graphical Representation
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...
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...
Curated OER
Mean Absolute Deviation in Dot Plots
The activity focuses on the ideas of dot plot representations and the mean absolute deviation of data sets.
Curated OER
Mean, Median, Mode, etc.
Explore the concept of mean, median, and mode with pupils. They estimate the length of a string or the number of M&M's in a jar. Then find the mean, median, and mode of the class' estimates.
Virginia Department of Education
z-Scores
Just how far away from the mean is the data point? Pupils calculate the standard deviation for a set of data and find out how many standard deviations a point is away from the mean. The teacher leads a discussion on how to calculate...
Shodor Education Foundation
Skew Distribution
Slide the class into a skewed view. Learners alter the location of the median relative to the mean of a normal curve to create a skew distribution. They compare the curve to a histogram distribution with the same skewness.
Radford University
Analyzing Data from Peer Survey
We all want to know what we're thinking. Scholars analyze and report data collected in a previous survey on peer attitudes toward current events. They calculate the mean, median, range, and standard deviation before creating histograms...
Inside Mathematics
Suzi's Company
The mean might not always be the best representation of the average. The assessment task has individuals determine the measures of center for the salaries of a company. They determine which of the three would be the best representation...
EngageNY
Sampling Variability in the Sample Mean (part 1)
How accurate is data collected from a sample? Learners answer this question using a simulation to model data collected from a sample population. They analyze the data to understand the variability in the results.
EngageNY
Sampling Variability in the Sample Mean (part 2)
Reduce variability for more accurate statistics. Through simulation, learners examine sample data and calculate a sample mean. They understand that increasing the number of samples creates results that are more representative of the...
EngageNY
Sampling Variability in the Sample Proportion (part 1)
Increase your sample and increase your accuracy! Scholars complete an activity that compares sample size to variability in results. Learners realize that the greater the sample size, the smaller the range in the distribution of sample...
EngageNY
Sampling Variability in the Sample Proportion (part 2)
Increase your sample and increase your accuracy! Scholars complete an activity that compares sample size to variability in results. Learners realize that the greater the sample size, the smaller the range in the distribution of sample...