To describe a distribution's shape — where the data clumps, where the peak is, whether it leans left or right — you must first read a number line and a bar/dot plot, find the tallest bar, and compare counts. Warm those feeders and shape talk makes sense.
Answer these 3, then press Show my path. No grade — this just points you to the right level.
1. On a number line, which value is farthest to the right: 2, 7, 4?
2. Counts at each value are 1, 4, 2. Which value has the most (the peak)?
3. Which is more, a bar of 6 or a bar of 3?
The shape of data tells you where values cluster on a number line. The peak is the tallest bar (the most common value). Comparing heights left to right shows if the data leans one way.
Your quick check picks one for you, but you can switch any time:
Level 0 Find the biggest count.
A. Counts are 1, 3, 2. What is the biggest count?
Compare: 3 is bigger than 1 and 2.
B. Which is more, 5 or 2? Type the bigger number.
5 is greater than 2.
C. On a number line, the points are 1, 2, 3. Which is farthest right?
Right means bigger: 3.
Level 1 Find the peak and compare sides.
A. A dot plot has counts 1, 2, 6, 2, 1 across values 1–5. Where is the peak?
The tallest count is 6, which sits at value 3.
B. Counts on the left side total 2 + 1 = ___
2 + 1 = 3.
Level 2 Compare two sides of a distribution.
A. Left bars are 3 and 2; right bars are 1 and 1. What is the left total?
3 + 2 = 5.
B. Left total is 5 and right total is 2. Which side has more data?
5 is greater than 2, so the data clusters on the left.
1. Counts are 2, 7, 4. What is the biggest count (the peak height)?
7 is greater than 2 and 4.
2. A number line has dots piled up near the low numbers with few high ones. The data clusters where?
Most dots are over the low values, so it clusters low (left).
You've practiced exactly what Lesson 8-7 uses. Time to dive in.
Start Lesson 8-7 →