Component

Brief Description of Module Activities

Student Grouping

Materials/Technology

Engagement

Students will brainstorm to complete a list of mathematical concepts that could be taught using attribute blocks. (See Teacher Notes) This is intended to lead to an exploration of mean, median and mode.

Whole Class

Overhead and class sets of attribute blocks

Exploration

Using a teacher designed worksheet, students will use the Interactivate software tool Plop It, accessed at www.Shodor.org to develop a)definitions of mean, median and mode, b) an understanding of the effects of changing values on the central tendencies of a set of data, and c) a working definition of mean.

Individual

Computer with web access, student worksheet

Explanation

Students will create/find data sets that meet instructor-set criteria regarding the measures of central tendency. Students will be able to justify why a particular measure of central tendency is the best descriptor of a set of data

Individual

Web access, calculators

Extension

Students will share with class a recent news article that uses one of the measures of central tendency in its explanation. They will explain why the chosen measure is or is not the best representation of the data.

Individual
Whole

Access to reading material-newspapers, magazines etc.

Evaluation

Student poster demonstrating knowledge of mean and median utilizing attribute blocks.

Individual

General poster supplies