Mississippi Math 6.SP.5c

Math6th GradeStatistics and Probability (SP) Convert Like Measurement Units Within a Given Measurement System

The Standard

6.SP.5: Summarize numerical data sets in relation to their context, such as by:

Giving quantitative measures of center (median and/or mean) and variability (interquartile range), 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.

2025 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Mathematics · Summarize and Describe Distributions

Teacher's field guide

What This Standard Means

What Students Need to Do: Students find the mean or median and the interquartile range of a data set. They describe where most values fall. They point out unusual values and explain what those values mean in the situation.
What Mastery Looks Like: For commutes of 10, 11, 12, 12, 13, 14, and 33 minutes, a student finds a median of 12 minutes and an interquartile range of 3 minutes. They explain that the 33-minute trip raises the mean to 15 minutes.
Common Misconceptions: Students may use the full range instead of the interquartile range. They may assume the mean describes a typical trip even when one long trip pulls it up. They may call that trip a mistake without knowing why it took longer.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: For commutes of 10, 11, 12, 12, 13, 14, and 33 minutes, find the median, mean, and interquartile range. Describe where most trips fall and how the 33-minute trip affects the mean.

Lesson moves

Ways to Teach It

Give pairs commute-time cards labeled 10, 11, 12, 12, 13, 14, and 33 minutes, then have them build a dot plot.
Have students write which better describes a typical trip, the mean of 15 minutes or median of 12 minutes, and explain why.
Play quartile match: give pairs cards marked 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 18; race to find the median and interquartile range.
Show bus delays of 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, and 15 minutes; students write a rider alert using the median and unusual delay.

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