Lesson Planning Template

Lesson Title:_____The Good and Bad of Statistics__________ Grade:___7 __

Learning Target: The students will be able to define and identify statistics. They will understand what
a population is, and why a random sample is needed. They will understand and be able to calculate the
mean of a group of data and be able to compare means of different comparable groups of data.

Grade Level Guide: Content Standards

Content Curriculum Focal Common Core State Standards Interdisciplinary Connections

Points (ie: NCTM, IRA,…)
From NCTM: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.SP.A.1 For Literature/Language Arts,
Data Analysis and Understand that statistics can be the students could analyze the
Probability. Reasoning used to gain information about a tone of the Big Book and the
statistically is essential population by examining a sample purpose of the author in using
to being an informed citizen of the population; generalizations the tone.
and consumer. The about a population from a sample
Data Analysis and Probability are valid only if the sample is
Standard calls for students representative of that population.
to formulate questions and Understand that random sampling
collect, organize, and display tends to produce representative
relevant data to answer these samples and support valid
questions. Additionally, it inferences.
emphasizes learning CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.SP.A.2
appropriate statistical Use data from a random sample to
methods to draw inferences about a population
analyze data, making with an unknown characteristic of
inferences and predictions interest. Generate multiple samples
based on (or simulated samples) of the same
data, and understanding and size to gauge the variation in
using the basic concepts of estimates or predictions. For
probability. example, estimate the mean word
length in a book by randomly
Learning. Students must sampling words from the book;
learn mathematics predict the winner of a school
with understanding, actively election based on randomly
building new sampled survey data. Gauge how
knowledge from experience far off the estimate or prediction
and previous might be.
knowledge. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.SP.B.3
Research has solidly Informally assess the degree of
established the important role visual overlap of two numerical
of data distributions with similar
conceptual understanding in variabilities, measuring the
the learning of mathematics. difference between the centers by
By aligning factual expressing it as a multiple of a
knowledge and procedural measure of variability. For
proficiency example, the mean height of
 with conceptual knowledge, players on the basketball team is 10
students can become effective cm greater than the mean height of
learners. They will be able to players on the soccer team, about
recognize the importance of twice the variability (mean absolute
reflecting on their thinking deviation) on either team; on a dot
and learning from their plot, the separation between the
mistakes. two distributions of heights is
Students become competent noticeable.
and confident in their CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.SP.B.4
ability to tackle difficult Use measures of center and
problems and willing to measures of variability for
persevere numerical data from random
when tasks are challenging. samples to draw informal
comparative inferences about two
populations. For example, decide
whether the words in a chapter of a
seventh-grade science book are
generally longer than the words in a
chapter of a fourth-grade science
book.

Academic Language: Statistic, population, average, mean, random, sample, data. For these words, the
class will create a word wall with the words, definitions, and examples on a bulletin board that will
remain untouched for the remainder of the lesson or unit.

Students’ Needs: Most students in the class will not have a clear idea of what statistics are, though they
have been exposed to them through the media. This lesson will build on their previous experience of
statistics and will give the students concrete knowledge of the basic concept as well as create
experiences with gathering data and drawing conclusions. I will bring up examples that they will have
been exposed to such as statistics used in advertising and sports to solidify their initial understanding.
Prior to the lesson they must already know what a mean or average is and how to calculate it, as well as
percentages, and pie and bar charts. The lesson will build on this understanding to be able to work with
means and percentages in statistics.

English Language Learners Visually Impaired/Blind

I will provide the For those visually impaired

vocabulary terms and rather than blind, they will
definitions in their own sit at the front to get the
language as well as in best view of the book and
English. will be able to view it up
close after the teacher read
aloud.
For those who are blind,
they will have an audio
recording of the teacher
reading the book so that
 they will be able to listen to
it multiple times.

Materials: Student Needs – Pencil/pen, paper, math journal

Teacher Needs – Big Book, worksheets with instructions and organizer for collecting and analyzing data
for groups, question for math journal entry

Language Function: I will have the students work together using the terms to analyze data and write
out statistics. They will also use the terms when answering the questions for their math journal.

Analyze, Argue, Describe, Evaluate, Explain, Interpret, Justify, Synthesize

Lesson Plan (step by step sequence of the lesson)

Before: I will begin by showing the big book to the class. I will read the title and as what they think it
will be about. Then I will ask if anyone has heard the word “statistics” or knows what it is. After
taking some answers from students, I will give them the definition of statistics and an example that
they might have seen or heard before. Then I will read aloud the big book, pausing after reading each
page to check the understanding of the students. I will ask questions such as “Why would you do
this?” and “Why would this be different from doing it the ‘right’ way?”

During: The students will then break into groups. At each table there will be an assigned type of data
such as how many writing utensils the students have in their backpack/pencil case, or how many days
they have watched TV in the last few days. Each type of data will be given to two groups. They will
then complete the task of analyzing the data they have collected by creating either a percentage or a
chart. As they finish, they will also find the mean of their data. Then, each pair of groups with the
same data will compare their means. During the activity, I will walk around to guide the students and
answer questions, as well as asking “why” questions to encourage a deeper understanding. The
students will prepare to present their findings the next day.

After: The students will write in their math journals in response to the questions: “What are the
important elements of a statistic?” “Why would you want to use a statistic?”. Once they are done,
volunteers will read their answers to the class.

Assessment:

Type of Description of Modifications to Evaluation Criteria- How good is

assessment assessment the assessment so good enough to meet standards?
(formal or informal; What will students do that all students (related to the learning objectives)
formative or to show what they may demonstrate Include scoring guide, rubric or other
summative) have learned? learning criteria
Informal Students will fill out Students with Students must be able to define
summative worksheets with difficulty writing important listed terms and be able to
group data analysis may type the recognize examples of statistics and
and write in their journal, and those explain why they are used and are
journals with severe useful.
dyslexia may also
 record an audio
entry

Resources: khanacademy.org is a good resource for a more step by step approach to statistics. See also
sample of student work attached.

Analyzing Teaching: To be completed after the lesson has been taught.

What worked?
What didn’t? For whom?

Adjustments
What instructional changes do you need to make as
you prepare for your next lesson?
Proposed Changes Whole class:
If you could teach this lesson again to this group of
students what changes would you make to your Groups of students:
instruction?

Individual students:

Justification
Why will these changes improve student learning?
What research/theory supports these changes?

Additional questions to consider when reflecting and completing the chart above: Did your activity
address your goals? Did your lesson plan reflect what you intended to teach? Were you pleased with the
sequencing of the lesson or would you change anything? What would you do differently next time or
what extension activities do you think would supplement this lesson? It may be helpful to cite one
resource that supports your instruction.
 Student Math Journal

What are the important elements of statistics?

The population, which is the group that you are counting, and the thing that is important about the

group.

Why would you want to use a statistic?

You would want to use a statistic so that you can find out something about a group, or sometimes about

a certain thing or person like a baseball player’s number of home runs.