CCSS.Math.Content.6.SP.A.2
The standard
Understand that a set of data collected to answer a statistical question has a distribution which can be described by its center, spread, and overall shape.
Common Core State Standards for Mathematics · Statistics and Probability
What this standard means
Students need to see a data set as more than a list of numbers. They should connect a statistical question to the data collected, then describe what the data looks like using center, spread, and shape. They should use words like clustered, spread out, skewed, symmetric, gap, and peak.
Mastery looks like a student comparing two dot plots and saying what is typical, how much the values vary, and what pattern they see. Students often get stuck by only naming the highest and lowest values, or by finding a mean without explaining the distribution.
Ways to teach it
- Have students measure their shoe lengths in centimeters, make a class dot plot, then label the center, spread, clusters, and gaps.
- Ask students to write: What does our class data show, and what number seems typical?
- Show a dot plot with 12 values and ask students to circle the center, underline the range, and write one shape word.
- Use scores from a recent basketball game or daily temperatures to discuss what is typical and how much the values vary.
Plan a lesson for CCSS.Math.Content.6.SP.A.2
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Related standards
- CCSS.Math.Content.6.SP.B.5d
Relating the choice of measures of center and variability to the shape of the data distribution and the context in which the data were gathered.
- CCSS.Math.Content.HSS-ID.A.3
Interpret differences in shape, center, and spread in the context of the data sets, accounting for possible effects of extreme data points (outliers).
- CCSS.Math.Content.6.SP.B.5c
Giving quantitative measures of center (median and/or mean) and variability (interquartile range and/or mean absolute deviation), as well as describing any over...
- CCSS.Math.Content.HSS-ID.A.2
Use statistics appropriate to the shape of the data distribution to compare center (median, mean) and spread (interquartile range, standard deviation) of two or...