Statistical Questions and Data
I can tell the difference between a statistical question and a non-statistical question.
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🎯 Content Objective / Objetivo de contenido
I can tell the difference between a statistical question and a non-statistical question.
Today's Flow
Total pacing: ~50 min · Progress bar at top tracks your place
LAUNCH
⏱ ~10 min
⏱️ 3 MIN · THINK-PAIR-SHARE
The coach asks, "How tall is our point guard?" and "How tall is each player on the roster?" Which one is a statistical question, and why?
Check for Understanding #1
Teacher: If >30% thumbs down, re-teach with a fresh example before moving on.
Scouting Report
You've just been hired as the data analyst for a youth basketball league. The head coach hands you a list of questions the staff wants to investigate about their players. Some questions will give you interesting data with variety, while others have just one fixed answer. Your job: figure out which questions are worth investigating with data.
Concept Launch
💡 What makes a question a statistical question?
A statistical question is one you answer by collecting data, and the answers are different for different people or cases. A non-statistical question has just one fixed answer.
If you expect the answers to vary, it is a statistical question.
Check for Understanding #2
Teacher: If >30% thumbs down, re-teach with a fresh example before moving on.
Now it's your turn
VOCABULARY
⏱ ~8 min
| Term / Término | Meaning / Significado | Example / Ejemplo | Visual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statistical Question Pregunta estadística |
A question where the answers will be different for different people. Una pregunta cuyas respuestas serán distintas para distintas personas. |
"How tall are the players on the team?" → answers vary: 60 in, 63 in, 58 in, 65 in | |
| Data Datos |
Facts and numbers you collect, like answers to a survey. Datos y números que recoges, como respuestas a una encuesta. |
Player heights: 60 in, 63 in, 58 in, 65 in — four different measurements | |
| Variability Variabilidad |
How spread out the numbers are. Qué tan separados están los números. |
Scores 10, 12, 11 are close together (low variability); scores 2, 15, 30 are far apart (high variability) | |
| Survey Encuesta |
Collecting facts by asking people questions. Recoger datos haciendo preguntas a las personas. |
Asking 50 students 'What is your favorite sport?' and recording the answers | |
| Data distribution Distribución de datos |
How the data looks: where it sits and how spread out it is. Cómo se ven los datos: dónde están y qué tan separados están. |
If most scores cluster in the middle with fewer at the edges, the distribution is symmetric |
Which Word Fits?
A question that expects a variety of answers and is answered by collecting data is a ___.
Use It In a Sentence
Check for Understanding #3
Teacher: If >30% thumbs down, re-teach with a fresh example before moving on.
Turn & Talk — Launch
The coach asks, "How tall is our point guard?" and "How tall is each player on the roster?" Which one is a statistical question, and why?
👂 Listen For
Students identify "How tall is each player?" as statistical because heights vary, while "How tall is our point guard?" has one fixed answer.
Extend: Take a non-statistical question and reword it so it becomes statistical. Explain exactly what you changed to create variability.
EXPLORE & PRACTICE
⏱ ~18 min
Visual Modeling Workspace
Use the drawing tray below to annotate the visual model. Teacher: say "Click to reveal" on key steps.
Explore Activity
Sort each question into the correct category: Statistical Question or Not a Statistical Question.
✍️ Explore Discourse
What pattern do you notice about statistical questions compared to non-statistical questions?
Whiteboard Moment
Show your work clearly. Be ready to explain your thinking to a partner.
Turn & Talk — Explore
While sorting the questions, what clue tells you instantly that a question will need DATA from many players to answer?
👂 Listen For
A strong answer notes words like "each" or "per player" signal variability, so you must collect data from many cases rather than look up one fact.
Extend: Is it possible for a question with a numerical answer to still be NOT statistical? Justify with an example from the basketball league.
Practice Check A
A coach asks: "How many hours does each athlete on the track team sleep the night before a meet?" Why is this a statistical question?
✍️ Show Your Work
Explain why your answer is correct using today's vocabulary.
Practice Check B
Which of the following is a statistical question?
✍️ Show Your Work
Explain why your answer is correct using today's vocabulary.
Statistical vs Not Sort
Drag each question into the correct column.
✍️ Justify Your Thinking
Each non-statistical question below has been rewritten to become statistical. Match the original to its rewritten version.
A classmate turned in the work below. One step has a mistake. Read every step, find it, name it, and fix it.
Choose ONE option to show what you know — then do it in the workspace below.
Use evidence from today's lesson to complete each frame.
Today's key idea is: "If you expect the answers to vary, it is a statistical question." — and it works because ___.
Because Statistical Question means ___, but a tricky part is ___, so I have to ___.
A common mistake with Statistical Question is ___. It happens because ___, and the fix is ___.
I can prove my answer is correct by ___, using Data to check my work.
✍️ TWR · WRITE 3 SENTENCES · 7 MIN
If you expect the answers to vary, it is a statistical question. because ___
If you expect the answers to vary, it is a statistical question. but ___
If you expect the answers to vary, it is a statistical question. so ___
🌱 TWR · GROW THE KERNEL · 6 MIN
Answer these to add detail
Sentence starters (tap to use)
Student Workspace
Fill in the table using today's strategy.
| Column A | Column B |
|---|---|
✏️ Sketch Your Strategy
Differentiation Paths
Step-by-step with a worked model and sentence frames.
Which of the following is a statistical question?
A coach asks: "How many hours does each athlete on the track team sleep the night before a meet?" Why is this a statistical question?
Extension with error analysis or multi-step reasoning.
Partner Activity
Work with your partner on the practice problems at your differentiation path level. Explain each step using math vocabulary.
Check for Understanding #4
Teacher: If >30% thumbs down, re-teach with a fresh example before moving on.
Real-World Connection
🌍 Math in the Wild
The school newspaper wants to write a story about the girls' soccer team. A reporter suggests asking: "How many goals has the team scored total?" The editor says they should ask: "How many goals did each player score this season?"
✍️ Connection Reasoning
Which question is statistical? Why would the editor's question give the newspaper more interesting data?
The reporter's question is ___ because ___. The editor's question is ___ because ___. The editor's question is better for a story because ___.
Turn & Talk — Connect
The newspaper editor prefers "How many goals did each player score?" over "How many goals did the team score total?" Which gives more interesting data for a story?
👂 Listen For
Students explain the per-player question is statistical and shows variability (who scored most/least), while the total is one fixed number that hides individual differences.
Extend: Critique the reporter's plan: when might a single total actually be the RIGHT thing to report instead of per-player data? Defend your view.
CLOSURE & REFLECT
⏱ ~8 min
Today I learned that ___ because ___.
One thing I am still not sure about is ___.
Which question is a statistical question? A) How many students are in the school? B) How many hours does each student in 6th grade exercise per week? C) What time does school start? D) How many days are in a week?
Bonus Exit Check
Which question is NOT a statistical question?
✍️ Show Your Work
Explain why your answer is correct using today's vocabulary.
Reflection & Self-Assessment
Continue Learning
Launch the Full Interactive Activity
Students continue practice in the HTML lesson engine with auto-check, hints, and differentiation.
Family Connection
Share tonight's family homework and discuss one vocabulary word at home.
Open Family Homework ↗Teacher Notes
⏱️ Pacing Guide
- Launch & vocab: 12 min
- I Do / We Do / You Do: 15 min
- Explore & practice: 15 min
- Connect & closure: 8 min
Total: ~50 min
🎯 Listen For · Common Errors
• Students identify "How tall is each player?" as statistical because heights vary, while "How tall is our point guard?" has one fixed answer.
• A strong answer notes words like "each" or "per player" signal variability, so you must collect data from many cases rather than look up one fact.
• Students explain the per-player question is statistical and shows variability (who scored most/least), while the total is one fixed number that hides individual differences.
• Students pose a question whose answers vary across classmates and name the variability they expect (e.g., different bedtimes, different shoe sizes).
Common mistake: A common mistake in Statistical Questions and Data is skipping the key idea: "If you expect the answers to vary, it is a statistical question." — always check your work against this rule before you submit.
Answer Key (Teacher Appendix)
Hide this slide during presentation or move to the end of your copy.
✓ Practice 1: Because the answers will vary from athlete to athlete — A statistical question anticipates variability. Different athletes sleep different amounts, so the data collected will vary.
✓ Practice 2: How many points did each player score this season? — "How many points did each player score?" is statistical because different players will have different scores — there is variability in the data.
✓ Practice 3: How many innings are in a baseball game? — "How many innings are in a baseball game?" has one fixed answer (9) — no variability. The other questions all produce different answers for different people.
✓ Practice 4: Because different students got different amounts of sleep — A statistical question anticipates variability — different students slept different amounts, so the data will vary.
✓ Exit ticket: B) How many hours does each student exercise per week? — "How many hours does each student exercise per week?" is statistical because different students exercise different amounts — the data has variability.