Why We Need More Than One Measure of Central Tendency

(Mean, Median and Mode)

8
th
grade lesson plan
Jon Beck and Dave Van Dyke
NISMEC July 2010
Standard 8.5..
Compare (and contrast mean! med"an! and mode o# a data set$
!"#"#$%&S&T#(S)'
# Students kno% t&e #ormulas to calculate mean! med"an! and mode o# a data set$
# Students are a%are t&at 'Ne%ton() amount o# #orce$
# Students are a%are mean! med"an! and mode measure d"##erent central tendenc"es$
# Students kno% &o% to operate a *a+,uest pro+e e##ect"vely$
O()ecti*es
! Students %"ll compare and contrast mean! med"an! and mode "n a data set$
! Students %"ll understand %&y t&ree types o# central tendency measures are
needed! as opposed to one$
+uiding $uestion
! -&y do %e &ave t&ree types o# central tendency measures (mean! med"an! mode!
as opposed to .ust one/
#ngaging Scenario
! 0en students are asked to prov"de an e1ample o# a re2ular career %"t& an est"mate
o# t&e annual 2ross salary #or t&at occupat"on$ 0&e "nstructor prov"des one
occupat"on! 'M"croso#t CE3( %"t& an est"mated annual salary o# 45 +"ll"on
dollars! %&"c& serves as an outl"er #or t&e data$ (I# students do not prov"de an
occupat"on %&"c& sat"s#"es t&e o+.ect"ve o# an outl"er$
&ntroduction , #ngage-ent
! Students6
! Determ"ne t&e mean o# t&e salar"es prov"ded$
! Students are asked "# t&e #ollo%"n2 sentence "s accurate6 '0&e avera2e salary o# a
t&ese occupat"ons "s 777777777777$(
! Students are asked! '8o% else could you measure t&e salar"es "n a %ay t&at +etter
re#lects t&e data/(
Teacher note.
! Students %"ll +e asked to ans%er t&e #ollo%"n2 #ocus ,uest"ons to 2u"de t&em to
t&e o+.ect"ve9$
/ocus $uestion(s)
! 8o% : -&y "s eac& measure o# central tendency d"##erent/
! 8o% "s eac& measure o# central tendency s"m"lar/
! 8o% does an outl"er a##ect eac& measure o# central tendency/
0a( !rocedures
! Students6
! 1 3+ta"n a *a+,uest Vern"er ; 8and Dynomometer <ro+e
! 2 0ake data %&"le 2r"pp"n2 t&e pro+e$ (Student %"ll c&oose &o% to 2r"p pro+e and
collect data$
! = >naly?e data! determ"n"n2 mean! med"an and mode o# Ne%tons 2r"pped$
(Student %"ll summar"?e an e1planat"on #or eac& C0$
! @ : 4 <u+l"s& results us"n2 %&"te +oard$ (0&e student %"ll c&oose &o% to
commun"cate e1planat"ons$
+& Matri1 Connections
Essent"al Aeatures o# t&e *esson BI Value
1 Cuest"on C : D
2 Data Collect"on B
= >nalys"s >
@ Connect"ons D
4 <u+l"cat"on >
0a( 2irections
$ Students s&ould record &o% t&e"r pro+e %"ll +e 2rasped (e$2$ one susta"ned 2r"p!
"nterm"ttent! etc$
$ Students %"ll pred"ct ; record t&e est"mates o# mean! med"an! and mode o#
Ne%tons %"t&"n 10 secondsD 2r"p$
$ Eac& student collects and records a data set %"t& 10 secondsD o# '2r"ps$( (Eepeat
tr"al "# necessary t%o t"mes and take +est data result$
$ Student accesses dataDs mean and ran2e t&rou2& 'Stat"st"cs( #unct"on o# *a+,uest$
$ Student sel#Fdeterm"nes med"an and mode t&rou2& data ta+le #unct"on o#
*a+,uest$ (Mode can rounded to nearest %&ole num+er! "# needed$
$ Students compare est"mates %"t& actual data$
$ Students e1pla"n t&e procedure #or 2r"pp"n2 a##ected t&e data t&ey rece"ved$ (e$2$
8o% "nterm"ttent 2r"ps result "n #luctuat"on! etc$
$ Students compare t&e"r e1planat"ons (%"t&"n GH %"t& t&e actual data o# t&e mean!
med"an and mode$
$ Students 'pu+l"s&( data! "nclud"n2 %&"c& C0 "s t&e"r c&o"ce o# 'most accurate
measurement o# 2r"p stren2t&$(I
3ssess-ents
Pre Assessment Students are asked to record %&y "s t&e
'3ccupat"onsD avera2e salary "naccurate/ -&at
m"2&t +e a %ay to 2a"n a +etter measurement/
Aormat"ve >ssessment Students en2a2ed "n *a+$
Summat"ve >ssessment Students 'pu+l"s&( data %"t& correct C0s!
"nd"cat"n2 %&"c& C0 "s most accurate measurement
#or t&e"r data$ (See ru+r"c$
"u(ric
1 -&"te +oard conta"ns mean!
med"an! and mode o# all data$
<o"nts
1FNot <resent
2F <resent +ut unclear
=F Clearly present
2 -&"te +oard conta"ns 2rap&! ta+le!
d"a2ram! d"splay! etc$
<o"nts
1FNot <resent
2F <resent +ut unclear
=F Clearly present
= -&"te +oard conta"ns de#ense o#
'+est C0$(
<o"nts
1FNot <resent
2F <resent +ut unclear
=F Clearly present
Closure , Connections
-&at are ot&er s"tuat"ons "n %&"c& t&e mean! med"an and mode are used accurately (and
"naccurately/
So-e e1planatory O*erheads (you can re,uest t&e or"2"nal $ppt #"le