CCSS.Math.Content.6.SP.B.5c
The standard
Giving quantitative measures of center (median and/or mean) and variability (interquartile range and/or mean absolute deviation), as well as describing any overall pattern and any striking deviations from the overall pattern with reference to the context in which the data were gathered.
Common Core State Standards for Mathematics
What this standard means
Students need to summarize a data set with numbers and words. They should find a center, such as mean or median, and a spread, such as interquartile range or mean absolute deviation. Then they need to describe the overall shape, clusters, gaps, and any outliers, using the real situation behind the data.
Mastery looks like a clear statistical summary: accurate calculations, a sensible choice of measures, and a context-based statement. Students often mix up mean and median, compute spread steps out of order, or name an outlier without explaining why it matters in the situation.
Ways to teach it
- Have students measure paper airplane flight distances, make a dot plot, then calculate median, mean, IQR, and mean absolute deviation.
- Ask students to write: Which number best describes our data, and what unusual value might affect the story?
- Give a 10-number data set and ask for mean, median, IQR, one pattern, and one possible outlier.
- Use class screen-time data to discuss what the center and spread tell families about typical daily phone use.
Plan a lesson for CCSS.Math.Content.6.SP.B.5c
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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.6.SP.A.3
Recognize that a measure of center for a numerical data set summarizes all of its values with a single number, while a measure of variation describes how its va...
- CCSS.Math.Content.6.SP.A.2
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.
- 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...