Montana Math MT.CORE.DATA.LIT.2
The Standard
Ask a statistical question to determine whether there appears to be an association between two variables, design and carry out an investigation, and write a persuasive argument based on the results of the investigation.
2026 Montana Mathematics Content Standards · Data Reasoning and Probability
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students ask whether two variables are related and plan how to collect paired data. They gather and graph the data, then write an argument about the pattern they see.
What Mastery Looks Like
- They decide whom to measure, record height and hand span for each person, and make a labeled scatterplot. Their argument names the trend, cites data, and notes a limit such as a small sample. They do not treat association as proof of cause.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may collect heights from one group and hand spans from another, leaving them without paired data. They may let one outlier outweigh the overall pattern or claim that a pattern proves cause.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Use these (height cm, hand span cm) pairs: (150,17), (155,18), (160,18), (165,20), (170,19), (175,21). Write a question the data could answer, plot the pairs, and argue whether an association appears, citing two pairs and one limitation.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
With tape measures, collect paired height and hand-span measurements from 12 volunteers, then plot the pairs.
Have students write a claim about the class scatterplot, citing two points and explaining why the pattern does not prove cause.
Give groups six scatterplot cards; have them sort by positive, negative, or no association and defend one borderline choice.
Give shop data (°C, ice creams sold): (15,20), (20,28), (25,42), (30,50); ask if stocking more on hot days makes sense.
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