Module 6

Box Plots

In the PowerPoint you were shown a graph comparing two classes of data which is posted below. Discuss which class you’d like to teach a follow-up lesson to and state why. Make sure to support your defense using reference to the five finger summary which an estimate can be determined by analyzing the Box Plot.

I would reteach class A. Class A has a smaller range and seems to have more students that have done poorly. Class B does have the lowest number, but it also has the highest. There may only have been one student who scored badly which causes the plot to be very low. We definitely know that no students in Class  scored above a 60 according to the maximum number.

Which class did you choose? Was it difficult for you to select a class, if so, why?


a. Make a box and whisker plot for the data in your class and draw it under the German class’s plot using the same scale. (Upload a picture of your graph to your blog!) 

b. Suggest three good questions that you could ask your class in making comparisons between the two plots. Answer each of your questions. (When posing questions, you want students to think beyond the obvious. Your goal is higher order thinking.)  

1. Which plot had heavier weights of trash.
2. If I changed the Maximum number on graph two, would the data change dramatically?
3. How do we know which plot had more data?

Common Core Standards

• Write down two “first impressions” you have about the data standards
• Two first impressions I have are the information given is easy to navigate through and very organized, and it is intimidating. It seems like a lot of information that needs to be covered in the classroom. It makes me nervous.

How did you feel about data standards? Did you feel differently? Did you look at a specific grade?

• How do the concepts progress through the grades? Need to provide specific examples to support what you see are the progressions. 
• They begin teaching the fundamentals in the lower grade and then build on top of the previously taught knowledge. For example, Kindergarten Geometry requirements are to identify and describe squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, hexagons, cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres. In first grade geometry, students must compare shapes and identify attributes. They work with two-dimensional and three dimensional shapes.
• How do the concepts change and increase in rigor and complexity for the students? Again, provide specific examples. 
• The students are required to use higher level thinking. As stated before, it is like building blocks and the students build off of their prior knowledge. Continuing from first grade Geometry, students in the second grade start to partition shapes. They are learning how to divide these shapes into smaller shapes ad equal parts.

Now look at both the Common Core and NCTM standards to respond to the following questions:

• Does the Common Core Standards align with what NCTM states students should be able to know and do within the different grade level bands? (Note that NCTM is structured in grade level bands versus individual grade levels.) 
• When looking at common core and NCTM standards, I see some similarities, but the NCTM standards has more advanced requirements.

Do you think the NCTM standards asks for more?

• Give examples of which standards align as well as examples of what is missing from the Common Core but is emphasized in the NCTM standards and vice versa.
• For K-2 in common core, the work their way up with data collection. They should count the number of objects in a category, then learn to organize, represent, and interpret data, and finally measure data and create graphs. According to NCTM K-2 should formulate questions, use appropriate statistical methods to analyze data, then develop and evaluate inference and predictions based in data.

Curriculum Resources

Grade 1: Would You Rather? Activity 1
The students practice taking surveys. They will be figuring our how to sort and display the data to the class.  Question: Suppose you could be an eagle or a whale for a day. Which one would you rather be?

• When using this activity, what mathematical ideas would you want your students to work through? 
• Data collection, comparing numbers (interpreting data)
•  How would you work to bring that mathematics out? 
• I would ask students questions to get them thinking. Why do the charts look different? What does it mean? 
• How would you modify the lesson to make it more accessible or more challenging for your students? 
• I would add more choices to choose from, or expand our survey and have more people.
• What questions might you ask the students as you watch them work? 
• What do these numbers mean? Which animal has more people? What is he difference between the two? 
• What might you learn about their understanding by listening to them or by observing them?
• I am hoping to learn that they understand one graph is larger than the other because more people chose one over the other. I am hoping to see an understanding of data collection through their charts.
• How do the concepts taught in this lesson align to the Common Core Standards? 
• It lines up with the measurement and Data domain. Students are required to organize, represent, and interpret their data collected.