These are MSTAR-style questions written for this curriculum to rehearse the format. They are not official Maryland assessment items. MSTAR — Maryland's new state test, first given in spring 2027 — uses the same kinds of questions you see here: selected response, select-all, two-part evidence questions, and written responses.
Part A — Skills Check
Warm up with the lesson's core skills — one best answer each.
Question 1Selected response · 1 point
Which of the following is a statistical question?
- AHow many points did each player score this season?
- BHow many points are scored for a free throw?
- CWhat sport does this team play?
- DHow many halves are in a soccer game?
Question 2Selected response · 1 point
Which question is NOT a statistical question?
- AHow many home runs did each player hit this year?
- BHow many miles does each runner train per week?
- CHow many innings are in a baseball game?
- DHow tall is each player on the basketball team?
Question 3Selected response · 1 point
Why is 'How many hours of sleep did each student get last night?' a statistical question?
- ABecause different students got different amounts of sleep
- BBecause it asks about sleep
- CBecause hours are numbers
- DBecause it asks every student the same question
Question 4Selected response · 1 point
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?
- ABecause it is about sports
- BBecause it has a numerical answer
- CBecause the answers will vary from athlete to athlete
- DBecause the whole track team is asked
Question 5Selected response · 1 point
Which of these is a statistical question?
- AWhat time is it right now?
- BWhat is my shoe size?
- CWhat is 7 × 8?
- DHow tall are the students in my class?
Question 6Selected response · 1 point
Which of these would collect data that VARIES (making it a statistical question)?
- AHow many siblings does each student in the class have?
- BHow many days are in one week?
- CHow many minutes are in one hour?
- DWhat is 12 + 12?
Part B — Test-Format Questions
These match the state test's formats: two-part questions, select-all, and written responses.
Question 7Two-part question
Part A
Which question is a STATISTICAL question?
Fill in the bubble next to the one best answer.
- AHow many minutes did I sleep last night?
- BHow many students are in our class?
- CWhat time does school start?
- DHow many minutes did each student in our class sleep last night?
Part B
Answer Part A before Part B — Part B asks about your reasoning.
What makes the other three questions non-statistical?
- AThey are about school instead of about students.
- BThey use smaller numbers.
- CEach has a single fixed answer, so there is no variability to describe.
- DThey cannot be answered with data.
Question 8Select all that apply
Select ALL questions that are statistical questions:
Mark the box next to EVERY answer that is true. More than one is correct.
- AHow tall is each player on the team?
- BHow many hours per week do sixth graders spend reading?
- CWhat is my shoe size?
- DHow long does it take students in our class to get to school?
- EWhat is the capital of Maryland?
Part C — Show Your Thinking
Answer in writing, the way the state test's constructed responses work.
Question 9Written response · 2 points
Write one statistical question and one non-statistical question about your school's cafeteria. Explain why each question is or is not statistical, and describe what the data would look like for the statistical question.
Write your answer in complete sentences. Show or explain your mathematical thinking.