Virginia SOL 5.PS.2.b
The Standard
Describe and determine the mean of a set of data values representing data from a given context as a measure of center.
Virginia Standards of Learning for Mathematics · The student will solve contextual problems using measures of center and the range.
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students add all data values and divide by the number of values. They explain the result as an equal-share amount or balance point and connect it to the context.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students correctly add the values and divide by the number of values. They label the mean with the correct unit and explain it as an equal-share or balance value in the given situation.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may divide by the wrong number, often using the greatest value instead of the number of data values. They may confuse mean with mode or range, or think the mean must appear in the data set.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: “Four students read 6, 8, 9, and 13 pages. Find the mean and explain what it tells you about their reading.”
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs 24 counters and four labeled cups; students model data, redistribute counters equally, and connect each equal share to the mean.
Ask, “What does a mean of 12 books tell us about four students’ reading?” Students write an answer using the context.
Play Mean Match with cards showing data sets, sums, quotients, and context statements; teams assemble four-card matches and check one another.
Use five days of classroom temperature data to calculate the mean, then explain what that value says about the school week.
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Printable 5.PS.2.b Worksheet
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Related Standards
- 5.PS.2.e
Describe and determine the range of a set of data values representing data from a given context as a measure of spread.
- 6.PS.2.b
Determine the effect on measures of center when a single value of a data set is added, removed, or changed.
- 5.PS.2.c
Describe and determine the median of a set of data values representing data from a given context as a measure of center.
- 5.PS.2.d
Describe and determine the mode of a set of data values representing data from a given context as a measure of center.
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