CCSS.Math.Content.HSS-IC.B.4
The standard
Use data from a sample survey to estimate a population mean or proportion; develop a margin of error through the use of simulation models for random sampling.
Common Core State Standards for Mathematics
What this standard means
Students need to use results from a sample survey to make a reasonable estimate about a larger group. They should connect sample mean or sample proportion to a population claim, then use repeated random samples in a simulation to see how much those estimates vary.
Mastery looks like giving an estimate with a margin of error and explaining what that range means in context. Students often get stuck thinking one sample gives the exact answer. They also mix up mean and proportion, or state the margin of error without linking it to random sampling and variability.
Ways to teach it
- Have students draw repeated random samples of 20 survey cards from a class data set and record each sample proportion on a dot plot.
- Ask students to write: What does a margin of error of 4 percent mean for a school survey result?
- Give one survey result and four possible interval estimates, then have students choose the best one and explain why.
- Use a recent school lunch, phone use, or homework survey to estimate a whole-grade opinion with a simulated margin of error.
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