CCSS.Math.Content.6.SP.B.5a
The standard
Reporting the number of observations.
Common Core State Standards for Mathematics
What this standard means
Students need to state how many data values are in a set. They should understand that the count of observations, often called n, tells how much data the summary is based on. They need to include this count when they describe a distribution, not just the mean, median, range, or shape.
Mastery looks like a student saying, “There are 24 observations,” and using that count to check whether a data display or summary makes sense. Students often confuse the number of observations with the largest value, the total of all values, or the number of different categories shown.
Ways to teach it
- Give pairs a stack of 30 sticky notes with shoe-size data, then have them sort, graph, and label the number of observations.
- Ask students to explain why two dot plots with the same median feel different when one has 8 observations and one has 40.
- Show a small dot plot and ask students to write one sentence reporting the number of observations.
- Use class survey data, such as minutes spent on homework, and have students include the observation count in a short summary.
Plan a lesson for CCSS.Math.Content.6.SP.B.5a
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Related standards
- CCSS.Math.Content.K.CC.B
Count to tell the number of objects.
- CCSS.Math.Content.K.CC.C
Compare numbers.
- CCSS.Math.Content.6.SP.B.4
Display numerical data in plots on a number line, including dot plots, histograms, and box plots.
- CCSS.Math.Content.K.MD.B
Classify objects and count the number of objects in each category.