Mean Absolute Deviation (Day 1)

Lesson Title: Assessing Prior Knowledge and Data Collection

Teachers Name: Whitney Pascoe
Grade Level: 7th grade
Time Required: 50 minutes
Standards (CCSS-M)
7.SP.3
Informally assess the degree of visual overlap of two numerical data distributions with
similar variabilities, measuring the difference between the centers by expressing it as a
multiple of a measure of variability.

Learning Objectives (specific statement RE CCSS-M): The LWBAT

collect and organize data on a line plot and identify the mean of that
data.
Assessment: Students will complete an exit ticket stating whether the
mean, was an accurate average of the data and why.
Materials/Resources
Cups
Post-It notes
Dry Erase markers
Lined Paper
Writing utensils
Markers
Vocabulary
Mean
Line Plot
TIMELINE ()
BEFORE = Anticipatory Set (10 minutes)
o Think-Pair-Share to solve the following problem.
o Question #5, Page 127
The mean number of children in six families is four.
How many children might be in each family? Can you
make a line plot to represent this data?
Students will attempt to solve the problem
individually. (Make observations ensuring there
is productive struggle. Move on if it is not
productive)

Allow students to approach the problem with

peers at the same table.
Assist students in solving as needed
o Go over how to find the mean.
o Break down what we know and what we
need to know. i.e. (a+b+c+d+e+f)/6=4
o Allow students to find a few options for
the answer.
o Share as a class.
o How many different options might we
have?
o How do you think this make the mean
more or less accurate when describing
the data?
How did you calculate the mean? (review to
ensure all students can calculate mean
successfully)
Define Mean: Mean is the average of a set of
numbers. To calculate mean you add all of the
numbers together and divide by the number of
numbers in the set.
DURING = Procedures & PRE-Planned questions-to-ask
(30 minutes)
o Activity (25 minutes)
Students will be collecting data by counting how
many Cups they can stake in a minute before they
fall over. Students will complete this in groups of
four (1 package per group). One student at a time
will stack the Cups. After they count how many Cups
they have they will write the number with a marker
on a sticky note and place the sticky note on the line
plot (on the board) in the appropriate spot.
o Extending (ten minutes)
How would you describe this data?
How many Cups did most people stack?
What is the mean?
AFTER = Connections & Next Steps (five minutes)
o Students complete exit ticket responding to the following
question.
Is the mean an accurate way to describe the data we
collected on stacking cups?
What does that tell you? Did all students stack x
number of Cups?