Living School · Chapter 5

Tale of Two Neighborhoods

Two Neft City neighborhoods say their commutes are unfair. Your team will compare the spread of each neighborhood's commute times and recommend who needs help. Ready?

First, tell us your first name

We use this on your final report.

Choose your role on the city team

Add your name and pick a role to begin.

🏛️ Mission Briefing

Mayor Reyes

Welcome to the team! Two neighborhoods — Northside and Riverbend — both complain about their commute times. We timed 11 commuters in each one. Your job: compare the spread (how consistent each is) and tell us who needs help.

🎯 Your Mission Goals

1 Find the five-number summary for each neighborhood.
2 Compute the IQR and range for each.
3 Read the box plots that show each spread.
4 Decide which neighborhood needs help.
5 Explain your decision using evidence.

New word? Tap a blue word to see what it means:

🔬 Data Lab

Each neighborhood's 11 commute times (in minutes) are already sorted least → greatest. Find each five-number summary, then the IQR and range.

Medianmiddle value (6th of 11)

Q1 (lower quartile)middle of the lower 5

Q3 (upper quartile)middle of the upper 5

IQR & RangeQ3 − Q1 · max − min

📦 Compare the Box Plots

These box plots are built from your correct five-number summaries. They sit on the same scale so you can compare the spread. A shorter box and whiskers means more consistent commutes.

Interpret the spread

🗳️ Decision Room

City Council

Which neighborhood should Neft City help make its commutes more reliable? Choose one recommendation, then explain it with evidence from your data.

Explain with evidence

Use at least two pieces of evidence from your summaries and box plots. (At least 18 words.)

0 words

🌆 City Reaction

City Status

🔬 Enrichment Challenge: Mean Absolute Deviation (optional)

The IQR measures spread using quartiles. Another spread measure is the Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD) — the average distance of each value from the mean. A bigger MAD also means more spread. Which neighborhood do you predict has the bigger MAD?

Which neighborhood has the bigger MAD (more spread from its mean)?

How do you know? Use spread words like IQR or range. (1 sentence)

📰 Neft City News

Write a short public report: 3–5 sentences about what the data showed, which neighborhood is more consistent, and what Neft City should do. (At least 35 words.)

Word bank — tap to add

Sentence frames — tap to add

0 words

📋 Read my report checklist

I explained the problem.
I used data evidence (IQR or range).
I made a recommendation.
I wrote in complete sentences.

🪪 Proof-of-Learning Passport

Neft City · Living School

—

Mission: Tale of Two Neighborhoods — Completed

Skills demonstrated

City Outcome: —

Reflection

One thing I understand better now is… One thing I still want to practice is…