Recognize Statistical Questions · MCAP 6.SP.A.1

Learning Goal: A statistical question is one you expect to get different answers (variability) when you collect data.

Vocabulary

statistical questionA question you answer by collecting data and that you expect to have a range of different answers.

dataInformation you collect, often as numbers, to answer a question.

variabilityHow much the answers or values differ from one another.

non-statistical questionA question with one single, fixed answer (no variability).

What You Need to Know

A statistical question expects MANY different answers, not just one.
Ask yourself: 'Would the answer change from person to person (or day to day)?' If yes, it is statistical.
'How old am I?' has one answer, so it is NOT statistical.
'How old are the students in my class?' has many answers, so it IS statistical.
Words like 'on average', 'typical', or 'range' often signal a statistical question.
A question about one specific thing at one specific time is usually non-statistical.

Worked Example I Do — watch how it works

Is 'How tall are the players on the basketball team?' a statistical question? Explain.

Step 1. Ask: will every player have the same height? No, heights will vary.
Step 2. Because the answers vary from player to player, we expect a range of data.
Step 3. A question that expects varying answers is a statistical question.

Answer: Yes, because the players' heights will vary.

Guided Practice We Do — try it together

1. Is 'How many pets does Maria have?' statistical or not?
💡 Hint: Is there one answer or many?
2. Is 'How many pets do students in Grade 6 have?' statistical or not?
💡 Hint: Would different students give different answers?
3. Rewrite 'What is my shoe size?' so it becomes a statistical question.
💡 Hint: Make it about a whole group, not just you.

Independent Practice You Do — show your work

1. Is 'How many minutes did I sleep last night?' statistical? Yes or no.
2. Is 'How many minutes do sixth graders sleep each night?' statistical? Yes or no.
3. Is 'What color is my backpack?' statistical? Yes or no.
4. Is 'How many books did each student in the class read this month?' statistical? Yes or no.
5. Rewrite 'How tall is my teacher?' as a statistical question.

MCAP-Style Practice

Directions: Answer each item the way you would on the MCAP. For selected-response items, fill in the circle (○) next to the correct answer. For constructed-response items, enter your answer and show your work. Every item below assesses standard 6.SP.A.1.

Item 1Selected Response6.SP.A.1

Which of these is a statistical question?

Select the correct answer.

○ A. How many days are in June?○ B. How many hours of TV do students in Grade 6 watch each day?○ C. What time does school start?○ D. How many wheels are on a car?

Item 2Selected Response6.SP.A.1

Why is 'How many siblings does each student in my class have?' a statistical question?

Select the correct answer.

○ A. It can only have one answer.○ B. It is about the teacher only.○ C. The answers will vary from student to student.○ D. It cannot be answered with data.

Item 3Constructed Response6.SP.A.1

Explain why 'What is the height of the tallest tree in the park?' is NOT a statistical question.

Enter your answer in the space provided. Show your work.

Enter your answer:

Teacher Answer Key (click to show)

Independent 1	No — one fixed answer.
Independent 2	Yes — answers vary from person to person.
Independent 3	No — one fixed answer.
Independent 4	Yes — answers vary from student to student.
Independent 5	Example: 'How tall are the teachers at my school?'
Item 1 · 6.SP.A.1	B — Only B expects a range of different answers (variability); the others each have one fixed answer.
Item 2 · 6.SP.A.1	C — A statistical question is expected to produce varying answers across the group.
Item 3 · 6.SP.A.1	It has one single, fixed answer, so there is no variability. — There is only one tallest tree with one height, so we do not expect a range of answers.

Neft Teacher · Grade 6 MCAP Mathematics Review · Standard 6.SP.A.1