Measures of Center

Lesson Plan for Grade 6, Mathematics

Prepared by Melinda Miron
June 11, 2016

OVERVIEW
Measures of center are used in the everyday world to make sense of and summarize
data given in particular contexts, e.g. surveys of students interests, regional
temperatures, grade reports, etc. The three main measures of center are mean,
median, and mode.
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce the concept of measures of center, help
students learn the algorithm for calculating mean, median, mode, and to use these
calculations to explain trends and summaries of data.

STANDARDS ADDRESSED
1. California Common Core Standard (CACC) 6.SP.5 - Summarize numerical data
sets in relation to their context
2. Auxiliary CACC Standards: 6.SP.3, 6.SP.5a-d

OBJECTIVES
1. The students will be able to identify a data set in context
2. The students will be able to calculate mean, and find the median and mode of a
data set
3. The students will be able to describe the data set using the measures of center
and explain what these measures mean.

IMPLEMENTATION
TEACHING STRATEGIES
TIME ALLOTMENT
AUTHORS COMMENTS
AND REFLECTIONS

Using real-world statistic reports (temperature, baseball

average), textbook, student created surveys
200 minutes (4-50 minute periods)
To be filled in after presenting the lesson

PROCEDURE
ANTICIPATORY SET

Shock and Awe

Question/discussion
Guide
Explore

Shock and Awe:

Once students are seated show them a video montage of players
hitting the baseball.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoJ5n538G04

Question
: Ask the students if they can think of any reason why Mrs. Miron would
show a baseball video in math class.

Guide:
Lead the discussion that ensues and try to guide them to mentioning batting
average.

Explore:
Provide students with a print out or project on the screen an MLB Batting
Average Leader 2015 chart and discuss how these averages may be calculated. Put

away to be discussed at a later point in the lesson if the students cant come up with a
possible explanation themselves.
http://www.sportingcharts.com/mlb/stats/player-batting-average-leaders/2015/

DIRECT INSTRUCTION

Define vocabulary terms for math notebooks. Textbook

explanation and modeling the process of calculating
mean and finding median.

Essential Question:
How can someone use measures of center to describe a data set?
Define:
measure of center
- a single number used to describe a set of numeric data
mean
- sum of the data values divided by the
number
of data values in the set
median
- the middle value of an ordered data set
mode
- the value that occurs most often in a data set
outlier
- a data point that is distant from all of the other data points
Textbook:

page 451 - 453

p. 451 Finding the Mean
p. 452 Finding the Median
p. 453 Comparing the Mean and the Median

Model:
Demonstrate how to calculate mean using the example data sets in the text.

Show how to order data values from least to greatest and identify the median using
same example data sets.

GUIDED PRACTICE

Calculation of mean, median, and mode with two-week

high and low temperatures from Livermore, CA

Calculating mean, finding median, and mode:

The teacher will project an image of

Livermore high and low temperatures of at least two weeks. Together the students and
the teacher will calculate the mean high and the mean low, and find the median and
mode of the highs and lows. Also, the teacher will ask for the students to point out any
outliers.
(Formative Assessment)
https://weather.com/weather/monthly/l/Livermore+CA+USCA0618:1:US

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE

Collaborative work, and H.O.T. (Higher Order Thinking)

questions, presentations.
Home practice - survey creation
Ask the question and calculate - conduct the survey

Collaborative work
: The teacher will supply a chart of specific data sets for each

learning group/pod that enable the students to calculate mean and find median and
mode for each. The students will point out any outliers.
H.O.T. Questions
: When is it more appropriate to use mean instead of median or

mode? When is it more appropriate to use median instead of mean or mode? When is
it more appropriate to use mode instead of mean or median?
Presentations:
Each group presents their findings on the whiteboard. They will

explain their various calculations and describe how the measures of center they found
describes their data.
(Formative Assessment)
Group discussion of H.O.T. Questions
: The class together will examine all of the
group findings and talk about how the H.O.T. Questions apply to each situation.

Home Practice:
Students will create a survey to ask their classmates that will be able
to provide a data set where they can find the measures of center.

Conduct the Survey:

Give the students time to conduct their self-authored survey
(permission from principal may be needed if it encompasses the whole school).
Calculate Measures of Center and Present
: The students will calculate their

measures of center, create a representation on chart paper to show their data points,
and present their findings to the class.

ASSESSMENT

Reflection
Quiz

Reflection
: The students will write a reflection on the survey creation process and how
they now understand what measures of center tell them about their data.

Quiz:
To test the algorithm knowledge, students will take a written quiz showing that
they can calculate mean, find median and mode, and indicate any outliers.

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

Class text book:
GO Math! Middle School Grade 6
, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Large chart paper
Graph paper to record their survey responses
Flip chart markers or Sharpies
Math notebooks/journals
Lists of data researched on the internet or created by teacher