Teacher Candidate: Sarah Ewald College Supervisor: Professor Linda Kellner

Content Area: Math 7, Statistics Cooperating Teacher: Mr. Don Urban

Grade: 7 Lesson # 1 Topic: Box Plots Date: 04/07/2014
School District: Levittown School: Wisdom Lane Middle School

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After question-driven data has been collected from the both the boys and the girls of the class,
students will work in groups to construct a box plot for the specific data they were assigned.
Students will present their box plots to the class, and participate in a class discussion in
comparing the different populations using their box plots, with less than two errors.

CCSS/M STANDARDS AND INDICATORS
Middle School School
Course: Math 7
Domain: Statistics & Probability
Standards:
o CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.SP.B.4
Use measures of center and measures of variability for numerical data from
random samples to draw informal comparative inferences about two
populations.
o CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.SP.B.3
Informally assess the degree of visual overlap of two numerical data
distributions with similar variabilities, measuring the difference between the
centers by expressing it as a multiple of a measure of variability
Domain: Speaking and Listening
Standards:
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.4
Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent
manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use
appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

Indicator:
This will be evident when students work in groups to construct a box plot for the specific
data they were assigned, present their box plots to the class, and participate in a class discussion
in comparing the different populations using their box plots, with less than two errors.

Mathematical Practices:
1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
3: Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
4: Model with mathematics
6: Attend to precision
ENGAGING THE LEARNERS
Students will participate in a class discussion on how we can compare the boys to girls in this
class, based on a series of questions. Students will discuss the data that had been collected the
day prior, and how we can construct a box plot to help compare these two populations (boys and
girls).
MATERIALS
SmartBoard, SmartNotebook Random Group Generator and instructions slide, large construction
paper (3 pink, 3 blue), different colored markers, rulers, tape, copies of cheat sheet, copies of
exit ticket, copies of homework.
LEARNING STRATEGIES
Polling, data collecting, cooperative learning, group discussion, checking for understanding,
presenting and teacher demonstration.

EXCEPTIONALITY
The students with attention difficulties will be given a specific job to hold during their group
project to help keep them focused and on task.

DIFFERENTIATION OF INSTRUCTION
Tier 1: Students will work with their groups to create an accurate box plot based on the data
provided with the help of a fact chart (Words, definitions, visuals), present their findings, and
participate in a class discussion in comparing the two populations using the box plots, with less
than two errors.

Tier 2: Students will work with their groups to create an accurate box plot based on the data
provided, present their findings, and participate in a class discussion in comparing the two
populations using the box plots, with less than two errors.

Tier 3: Students will work with their groups to create an accurate box plot based on the data
provided, present their findings, and participate in a class discussion in comparing the two
populations using the box plots, with less than two errors, and will determine if these findings
form a valid conclusion, based on whether the sampling was biased/unbiased.

DEVELOPMENTAL PROCEDURES
Students will be first introduced to the essential question of the day: How can we
compare ourselves as boys and girls, based on certain questions and variables? The class
will be reminded of the data (data for boys, data for girls) that was collected the day prior,
based on the following essential questions:
How many people are in your household?
What is the first digit of your address?
What is the number of the month in which you were born?
Students will be organized into same-sex groups, 3 groups of girls, and 3 groups of boys,
based on the Random Group Generator displayed through the SmartBoard.
Once students are situated in their groups, students will listen to specific instructions on
how the class period will be moving forward, and how one should act when working in a
cooperative group. They will learn that each group will have a specific data set to create a
box plot with, based on 3 essential questions. (Each question will be separated to have
data from the girls, and from the boys, creating 6 data sets = 6 groups) (Does anyone
have any questions before we begin? Now that the instructions have been given, are there
any last minute questions?)
Students will use their cheat sheet as a way to help them approach this project. Students
will be told to analyze their specific data, and review their cheat sheet in order to
construct their teams box plot.
Students will then have their materials distributed. They will be given a large piece of
construction paper with their data (pink paper for girls, blue paper for boys), and different
colored markers; each student will be given a job according to cooperative learning
strategies (ex. note taker, time keeper, supplier, taskmaster). Students will work as a
team to determine the minimum, maximum, median, lower quartile, upper quartile and
interquartile range. Each student will be asked to write with a different colored marker, to
show which student did what. Each student must also show his or her work on a separate
sheet of paper.
A student will be randomly selected to present the groups finding to the class. The
projects will then be hung around the classroom as a way to reinforce the unit of statistics,
throughout the school year. (How can we use our cheat sheets to help with these
problems?)
Once each project has been presented, students will participate in a class discussion to
answer the following questions,
How do the medians compare between the number of people in your household
for the boys and girls? What conclusion can you make from this?
Using the interquartile range, how does the spread of the data compare between
boys and girls, when comparing their house numbers? What conclusion can you
make from this?
Using both median and interquartile range, compare the boys to girls in regards to
the month they were born? What conclusion can you make from this?
These questions will ask students to compare the two populations (boys and girls), based
on the box plots that they made.
Students will review what the days lesson was about and what we learned. They will see
the connections made between the mathematical terminology we learned the day prior,
and how they can be used to compare two populations (What have we learned today? Are
there any last minute questions?)
Students will complete an exit ticket on reading a box plot. They will have compare two
populations based on two box plots. The exit ticket will be handed in to the teacher to be
assessed.
FOCUS: Students will reinforce their skills while they are working cooperatively with their
peers to construct a box plot, and will work on their speaking skills as they must present their
findings and compare the populations.

ARTIFACTS AND ASSESSMENT [FORMAL & INFORMAL]
Students will work in their collaborative groups to create a box plot based on the data
they were given. (Group Assessment)
Students will show their individual work on a separate sheet of paper, while working in
their collaborative groups. (Individual Assessment)
Students will answer teachers questions throughout the lesson.
Students will complete an exit ticket on reading a box plot. They will have to compare
two populations based on two box plots. The exit ticket will be handed in to the teacher to
be assessed.
Students will complete a homework assignment on comparing populations through box
plots.
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE
While working in their collaborative groups, students will be responsible to show their
work on a separate sheet of paper.
Students will complete their exit ticket on reading a box plot.
Students will complete their homework assignment.

FOLLOW-UP: DIRECT TEACHER INTERVENTION AND ACADEMIC
ENRICHMENT
Direct Teacher Intervention:
The student, under direct intervention with the teacher, will review their box plots and the
different values associated with it, and their meanings.
The student may also access an interactive lesson, virtual manipulatives and practice
problems online regarding ways to create and read box plots through BrainingCamp:
http://www.brainingcamp.com/content/box-and-whisker-plots/index.html

Academic Enrichment:
The student will complete the O.14 (Interpret Box-and- Whisker plots) standards
questions on IXL.com, a membership based website used by the school district that offers
Common Core Standards based questions on Math and English Language Arts.




TEACHER REFERENCES

Bailey, R., Day, R., Frey, P., Howard, A., Hutchens, D., McClain, K., Moore-Harris, B., & Ott, J.
(2006). Mathematics: Applications and concepts (course 3). (pp. 442-449). The McGraw-
Hill Companies.

Box and whisker plots. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.brainingcamp.com/content/box-and-
whisker-plots/index.html

Carter, Cuevas, Day, Malloy, Kersaint, Luchin, McClain, & Molix- Bailey, (2013).
Glencoe math: Your common core edition (course 2). (Vol. 2, pp. 827-836). The
McGraw-Hill Companies.

English Language Arts Standards. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-
Literacy/SL/7/

Interpret box-and-whisker plots. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.ixl.com/math.grade-
7/interpret-box-and-whisker-plots

Mathematics. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.engageny.org/mathematics

Watson, S. (2013). Jmap. Retrieved from jmap.org