Mathematics Lesson plan #2

What are different measure of central tendency and

variability in statistics?
Topic: Measures of central tendencies and variability
Year: Secondary
Lesson duration: 75-80 Min
Lesson aims: Students in this lesson aims at understanding the importance of
central tendency,
describe the three measures of central tendency and learn to calculate them.
Lesson Outcomes: At the end of the lesson students will be able to:

Gather data
Create frequency table

Interpret data and draw conclusions

Derive data from and apply data to personal experience

Analyse data

Present data and formulate questions

Demonstrate an understanding of measures of central tendency
and variability

Key Vocabulary: Mean, median, mode, measures, variability, range and data
collection.
Setting: Classroom
AusVels: This lesson plan supports
Displinary learning: Mathematics and Psychology
Interdisplinary learning:

ICT

Thinking processes

Reasoning, processing and enquiry

Design, Creativity and Thinking processes

Physical, Personal and Social Learning:

Personal learning

Intercultural understanding is embedded through personal learning and

social interactions (communication).

Standards:
Mathematics
Compare data displays using mean, median and range to describe and interpret
numerical data sets in terms of location (centre) and spread (ACMSP283)
Links to literacy, critical and creative thinking
Psychology
Select and use appropriate equipment, including digital technologies, to
systematically and accurately collect and record data (ACSIS200)
Links to literacy, numeracy, critical and creative thinking and ICT capability
Material:
Handouts
Calculators

Procedure:
Review: (5 Min)
Engage
Connection to previous lesson (remembering)
Link to prior knowledge of collecting and representing data
Introduction (20 Min)
Engage and Explore
Playing a jeopardy game by dividing the class into two groups to inquiry about
their previous knowledge about Mean, Median, Mode and range. It is a fun way to
start to get them going.
https://jeopardylabs.com/play/mean-median-mode-range-team-quiz2
Discussion: (15 Min)
Explore and Explain
Explaining why there are three types of central tendency and the use of each
one of them. Furthermore, use examples from the chapter, the discussion
questions, and the classroom exercises to demonstrate how and why these three
measures differ.
Introducing mean, median and mode as types of average and range as a
measure of the spread of a set of data.
Activity1: (20 Min)
Engage, Explain and Elaborate
Handout to students to fill in their grade expectancy and study habits,

Handout will consist of few questions related to their consistent study habits
Once you collect the data from your students, ask the student to interpret data

Have your students eyeball the data file and estimate what the mean,
median, and mode are for each variable. Have them estimate the
variability of the data. Which variable is most variable?
Run the analysis, and see how well the group estimated their results.
Ask them to display the data graphically by bar chart, pie chart, histogram
etc.
Discuss issues of distribution (normalcy and skewness with the graphs
options).

Discussion and continuation of activity (20 Min)

Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate
Describing that there are two measures of variability i.e. range and variance and
showing them how to calculate for a particular data that they have collected
through handouts.
Continuation of activity 1

Formative assessment:
1) Class discussion: Students should be able to answer
What are the measures of central tendency we discussed today?
Mean, median, and mode

How do you find the mean for a set of data? Median? Mode?
Mean - add all of the numbers and divide by how many numbers you have.
Median - order the numbers from least to greatest then find the middle
number.
Mode - determine the most frequent number.

What are the measures of variability that we discussed?

Range and variance

How do you find the range? Variance?

Range - subtract the lowest number (lower extreme) from the highest
number (upper extreme).
Variance- how spread out (far away) a number is from the mean.

2) Drill sheet