Histogram Lesson 1

Module 1 Application Assignment

Histogram Lesson

Samantha DiMatteo

Marygrove College
Histogram Lesson 2
Lesson Title: Histograms Course: Statistics Grade Level: 9

Objectives:
- Define the vocabulary terms associated with histograms.
- Collect data and represent that data using a histogram.
- Identify the key components of a data set based on the shape, center, and spread.

Standards Addressed:
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.ID.A.1 Represent data with plots on the real number line (dot
plots, histograms, and box plots).
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.ID.A.3 Interpret differences in shape, center, and spread in
the context of the data sets, accounting for possible effects of extreme data points
(outliers).

Warm-Up: Have students identify the differences that they can visually identify between
bar graphs and histograms.

Input [Teacher centered]: Define key vocabulary terms including shape, symmetric,
normal, skewed right, skewed left, tail, outliers, range, center, spread, histogram, and
frequency. Provide supporting examples that help emphasize each term.

Cooperative Activity [Student centered]: Students will stack pennies with their non-
dominant hand and record the classs collective results on a histogram.

Closure: Exit ticket. Using the same data set from the stacking pennies activity create a
histogram that differs in class width. How does this histogram compare to that of the one
you creating in todays activity?
Histogram Lesson 3

Cooperative Learning Activity Name ______________________

Date ___________ Period ______

The following experiment is intended to discover whether hand-eye coordination differs

between the use of your dominant hand and your non-dominant hand.

In another statistics class each student stacked pennies with their dominant hand. The
following is the data they plotted according to the classs results.

Examine the distribution of the number of pennies stacked by students in the first statistics
class using their dominant hand.

(a) How many students were in the first class?

(b) What do you think the plot for your class might look like? (Stacking with each
students non-dominant hand).

(c) Check you conjecture in part b by having your class stack pennies using their
non-dominant hand. Make a plot of the number stacked by your class using
the same scale as that for the dominant hand plot above. (See next page for
further directions).
Histogram Lesson 4

Rules:
- Stack as many pennies as you can with you non-dominant hand.
- You can touch pennies only with the one hand you are using.
- You have to place each penny on the stack without touching any others.
- Once you let go of a penny it cannot be moved.
- Your score is the number of pennies stacked before a penny falls.

Directions:
- Decide who will go first (you or your partner). While one person is stacking
pennies, the other is helping to count the number of pennies stacked, and making
sure that their partner is following the appropriate rules.
- When you are done stacking record your results on the front board so that we have
data that represents every student in the class.

(d) Graph the data set from the board onto the space provided above. Compare
the shape, center, and spread of the plot from your class with the plot of the
first statistics class on the previous page. What conclusions can you draw?

(e) Why might comparing the results of the first statistics class and your statistics
class not accurately help us discover whether hand-eye coordination differs
between the use of your dominant hand and your non-dominant hand?
Histogram Lesson 5

Histogram Homework
Histogram Lesson 6

In order to design a successful lesson, teachers must place an emphasis on the

planning process. We must carefully consider how we will deliver the content to our

students in a way that is both intriguing and relatable. Van De Walle, Karp, and Bay-

Williams (2013) state, A well-prepared lesson that maximizes the opportunity for students

to learn must be focused and aligned (p. 62). When creating a lesson on histograms I

was sure to focus on data sets that were developmentally appropriate and captivating to

my target audience.

This lesson begins with a warm-up that asks students to compare a bar graph with

a histogram. Rubenstein, Beckmann, and Thompson (2004) explain, Mathematics

classrooms of today need to take advantage of the energy, inquisitiveness, and

questioning that are a normal part of early adolescence (p. 7). Although this is likely to be

students first exposure to histograms, the pictorial representations of both a bar graph and

histogram side-by-side should allow students to easily recognize some of the key

similarities and differences between the two representations.

After discussing the general properties related to histograms students will be

formally introduced to key vocabulary terms along with supporting examples that will be

essential to their success with this topic. Key terms include shape, symmetric, skewed

right, skewed left, tail, outliers, range, center, spread, histogram, and frequency. A general

understanding of each vocabulary word will ensure that students possess the pre-requisite

knowledge necessary to carry out future tasks that require an application of each of these

terms.

This lesson continues with a student-centered hands on activity. Rubenstein, Beckmann,

and Thompson (2004) explain, Good instruction includes engaging students in worthwhile

mathematical tasks (p. 193). Students will work in cooperative pairs and observe the

behavior of a histogram that was created in another statistics class. This histogram had
Histogram Lesson 7
been created by having each student stack as many pennies as they could with their

dominant hand. The data is skewed to the left of the chart because the majority of the

students in the preceding class were able to stack a substantial amount of pennies.

Students will then complete the same activity with their non-dominant hand and record the

number of pennies that they were able to stack on the front board. Having each student

contribute their own personal piece of data helps students to take ownership of the lesson.

Van de Walle, Karp and Bay-Williams (2013) state, The easiest questions to begin with

are those that can be answered by each class member contributing one piece of data (p.

437). Students will use a histogram to represent the data that is collected from each of

their classmates and (theoretically) will discover that their histogram will be skewed to the

right. This offers up a good opportunity for some class discussions about the differences

between the shape of the first histogram and the shape of the one that this class created.

Kinzer, Virag, and Sara (2011) state, A learning-centered classroom affords students the

opportunity to reflect as they engage in problem solving and making sense of mathematics

to demonstrate proficiency in a variety of ways (p. 481).

As a closure activity, students will be given an exit ticket in which they must use the

same data from class to create a histogram, however they must choose a scale that differs

from the one used during the activity. Students will then be asked to describe the benefits

of using a smaller or larger scale in order to display data.

The process of discovery is what truly helps solidify students understanding of the

topic. Rubenstein, Beckmann, and Thompson (2004) note, When teachers show students

how to do things, students often obediently follow directions rather than building

understanding (p. 193). It is important to guide students through the learning process by

providing activities that encourage the class to submerge themselves in the material and

draw conclusions on their own.

Histogram Lesson 8

References

Beigie, D. (2008). Integrating content to create problem-solving opportunities.

Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 13(6), 352360.

Bombaugh, R., & Jefferys, L. (2006). Body data. Mathematics Teaching in the

Middle School 11(8), 378383.

Kinzer, C. J., Virag, L., & Morales, S. (2011). A reflective protocol for mathematics

learning environments. Teaching Children Mathematics, 17(8), 480-484.

Martinie, S. (2006). Families ask: Data analysis and statistics in the middle school.

Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School 12(1), 4849.

Rubenstein, R. N., Beckmann, C. E., & Thompson, D. R. (2004). Teaching and

learning middle grades mathematics. Key Press Curriculum.

Van de Walle, J. A., Karp, K. S., & Bay-Williams, J. M. (2013). Elementary and

middle school mathematics methods: Teaching developmentally (8 th ed.). Pearson:

Boston.
 Histogram Lesson 9
Mod1 Application Question

The following are the numbers of hours of television watched during a given week by
students in Mrs. Karnes algebra class: 17, 8, 17, 13, 16, 13, 8, 9 ,17, 7, 8, 7, 14, 14, 11,
13, 11, 13, 11, 17, 12, 15, 11, 10. Choose suitable class widths and draw a histogram to
display this data. What is the shape of the data?

6
S
t 5
u 4
d 3
e
n 2
t 1
s
7 9 11 13 15
Number
17 19 of hours of TV watched

6
S
t 5
u 4
d 3
e
n 2
t 1
s
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18
Number of hours of TV watched

I chose two different scales when creating histograms to represent the given data set.
Each increment on the first histogram represents two whole numbers, while the second
histogram has one-unit increments. I would consider the shape of this data approximately
normal. The histograms do have various peaks but the data is fairly evenly distributed, in
other words the majority of the data is not skewed to the right or to the left.