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6-D-1-2

Page history last edited by Brenda Butz 6 years, 1 month ago

6.D.1.2 Explain and justify which measure of central tendency (mean, median, or mode) would provide the most descriptive information for a given set of data.


In a Nutshell

Measures of central tendency (mean, median, or mode) provide information about the center of a data set. When choosing which measure of central tendency provides the most descriptive information for a given data set, students must consider how each measure is affected by the numbers in the given data set. For example, mode is the best choice when the data set has many repeated values. The mean can be affected by extreme high or low values in the data set (outliers), while median is not affected by these extreme values. So, median would be the best choice when the data set has these extreme values. The mean of the data set will provide the most descriptive information for a data set when the data set does not have extreme values. Performing the calculations for the mean, median, and mode for a given data set will provide the evidence needed to explain and justify why a chosen measure provides the most descriptive information for the given data set.

Student Actions

Teacher Actions

  • Develop a deep conceptual understanding of which measure of central tendency provides the most descriptive information for a given set of data by performing the calculations for each measure of central tendency and comparing the results to the numbers in the given data set.

  • Communicate mathematically in pairs or small groups through discussion or writing in order to explain and justify why their choice of measure of central tendency provides the most descriptive information for a given set of data.

  • Elicit and use evidence of student thinking through student discussion to assess progress towards understanding which measure of central tendency provides the most descriptive information for a data set and adjust instruction to support their understanding.
  • Facilitate meaningful discourse by engaging students in solving and discussing tasks that provide opportunities for them to design their own experiments, collect data, and analyze results. Encourage students to compare arguments about which measure of central tendency provides the most descriptive information for a given set of data.

Key Understandings

Misconceptions

  • That extreme values can affect the mean of a data set.

  • That the median provides the most descriptive information for data sets that have extreme values.

  • That the mode provides the most descriptive information for data sets that have many repeated values.

  • That the mean provides the most descriptive information for data sets that do not have extreme values.

  • Be confused about the underlying meaning of the terms, mean, median, and mode, and use them interchangeably.

 


OKMath Framework Introduction

6th Grade Introduction

 

 

 

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