Grade 6 Mathematics · Unit 2: Understanding the World Around Us Through StatisticsStandard 6.DS.1

Lesson 2.1Understand Statistical Questions

Set B · Version ASecond form · supported practice

Mastery check☐ Exceeds☐ Meets target☐ Needs practice
Name Date Period

Learning target I can tell the difference between a statistical question and a non-statistical question.

Why This Matters 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. Two of the coach's questions are: "How tall is our point guard?" and "How tall is each player on the roster?"

RememberUnderstand Statistical Questions

Statistical Questions & Variability 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.

  1. Statistical Question: Expects answers that vary across people, trials, or items.
  2. Non-Statistical Question: Has one single fixed answer.
  3. Data Collection: Gather varied data points to create a distribution

Words: Statistical Question (Pregunta estadística)Non-statistical Question (Pregunta no estadística)Data (Datos)Variability (Variabilidad)Survey (Encuesta)

  1. 1Circle the letter of the best answer. Show how you know.

    Which of these would collect data that VARIES (making it a statistical question)?

    1. AHow many siblings does each student in the class have?
    2. BHow many days are in one week?
    3. CHow many minutes are in one hour?
    4. DWhat is 12 + 12?

    Hint The capital word VARIES is the clue — you need the question whose answers change from student to student.

    Show your work
  2. 2Circle the letter of the best answer. Show how you know.

    A box has a base area of 10 square inches and a height of 4 inches. What is its volume?

    1. A2.5 in³
    2. B14 in³
    3. C40 in³
    4. D40 in²
    Formula
    Put the numbers in
    Work it out
    Answer with its unit
    1. 1Name itWhich measure is asked?
    2. 2Write the formulaBefore any numbers.
    3. 3SubstituteMatch each letter.
    4. 4Unitunits, sq units, or cubic?
  3. 3Circle the letter of the best answer. Show how you know.

    What is the volume of a rectangular prism with l = 6 cm, w = 2 cm and h = 3 cm?

    1. A11 cm³
    2. B18 cm³
    3. C36 cm³
    4. D36 cm²
    Formula
    Put the numbers in
    Work it out
    Answer with its unit
    1. 1Name itWhich measure is asked?
    2. 2Write the formulaBefore any numbers.
    3. 3SubstituteMatch each letter.
    4. 4Unitunits, sq units, or cubic?
  4. 4Circle the letter of the best answer. Show how you know.

    A prism has a base area of 10 square feet and a volume of 40 cubic feet. What is its height?

    1. A4 feet
    2. B30 feet
    3. C50 feet
    4. D400 feet
    Formula
    Put the numbers in
    Work it out
    Answer with its unit
    1. 1Name itWhich measure is asked?
    2. 2Write the formulaBefore any numbers.
    3. 3SubstituteMatch each letter.
    4. 4Unitunits, sq units, or cubic?
  5. 5Circle the letter of the best answer. Show how you know.

    A box measures 1/2 ft by 3 ft by 4 ft. What is its volume?

    1. A2 cubic feet
    2. B6 cubic feet
    3. C7.5 cubic feet
    4. D12 cubic feet
    Formula
    Put the numbers in
    Work it out
    Answer with its unit
    1. 1Name itWhich measure is asked?
    2. 2Write the formulaBefore any numbers.
    3. 3SubstituteMatch each letter.
    4. 4Unitunits, sq units, or cubic?
  6. 6Circle the letter of the best answer. Show how you know.

    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?" Which question is statistical?

    1. A'How many goals has the team scored total?'
    2. BBoth are statistical
    3. C'How many goals did each player score this season?'
    4. DNeither is statistical
    Show your work

Explain your thinkingWhat pattern do you notice about statistical questions compared to non-statistical questions?

Sentence starter Statistical questions expect ___ in the answers because ___. Non-statistical questions have only ___ answer because ___.

3-Point Exit Checklist: ☐ 1. Units & Labels Verified ☐ 2. Mathematical Reasoning Stated ☐ 3. Calculations Double-Checked
How did it go? ☐ 4 · I can teach it☐ 3 · I've got it☐ 2 · I need a hint☐ 1 · I need help
Grade 6 Mathematics · Unit 2: Understanding the World Around Us Through StatisticsStandard 6.DS.1

Lesson 2.1Understand Statistical Questions

Set B · Version BSecond form · core practice

Mastery check☐ Exceeds☐ Meets target☐ Needs practice
Name Date Period

Learning target I can tell the difference between a statistical question and a non-statistical question.

Why This Matters 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. Two of the coach's questions are: "How tall is our point guard?" and "How tall is each player on the roster?"

Part 1Understand the ideamodels and meaning
  1. 1Write the name of the correct group on each line.

    Drag each scouting question into the right bin. A statistical question expects answers that VARY from player to player; a non-statistical question has one fixed answer.

    Groups: Statistical Not Statistical
    • How many push-ups can each player on the team do in one minute?
    • How many points does each starter average per game?
    • How many seconds does each player take to sprint the court?
    • How many free throws did each teammate make in practice?
    • How many players are allowed on the court at once?
    • What is the diameter of an official basketball hoop?
    • How many quarters are played in one game?
  2. 2Write the letter of the matching item on each line.

    Match each weak (non-statistical) scouting question to a stronger version that becomes statistical by adding variability.

    1. How many players are on the roster?
    2. What time does the game start?
    3. How long is the basketball court?
    4. How many points did the team score in total?
    • AHow many minutes does each player on the roster play per game?
    • BWhat time does each fan arrive at the arena?
    • CHow far from the hoop does each player shoot most often?
    • DHow many points did each player score in the game?
Part 2Apply itreal-world problems
  1. 3Circle the letter of the best answer. Show how you know.

    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?" Why is the team total NOT a statistical question?

    1. ABecause the total is a very large number
    2. BBecause it is about soccer
    3. CBecause goals are counted, not measured
    4. DBecause it has exactly one answer, with no variability
    Show your work
  2. 4Circle the letter of the best answer. Show how you know.

    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?" Which of these is a statistical question?

    1. AHow tall am I?
    2. BWhat is today's date?
    3. CHow many minutes are in an hour?
    4. DHow tall are the students in my class?
    Show your work
  3. 5Circle the letter of the best answer. Show how you know.

    The team analyst writes four questions for the scouting report. Which one is a statistical question?

    1. AHow many points is a single free throw worth?
    2. BWhat is the height of the basketball rim?
    3. CHow many rebounds does each player grab per game?
    4. DHow many timeouts does each team get per half?
    Show your work
  4. 6Circle the letter of the best answer. Show how you know.

    Why does the question "How many minutes did each athlete warm up before the game?" count as a statistical question?

    1. ABecause the answer is measured in minutes
    2. BBecause the warm-up times will vary from one athlete to another
    3. CBecause every athlete warmed up for exactly the same time
    4. DBecause it is about a sports team
    Show your work

Explain your thinkingWhat pattern do you notice about statistical questions compared to non-statistical questions?

3-Point Exit Checklist: ☐ 1. Units & Labels Verified ☐ 2. Mathematical Reasoning Stated ☐ 3. Calculations Double-Checked
How did it go? ☐ 4 · I can teach it☐ 3 · I've got it☐ 2 · I need a hint☐ 1 · I need help