Royalty, Racing, and Rolling Pigs

Some statisticians have pointed out that the field of statistics essentially exists to study the variability seen in everyday life. Because variability is so foundational, the "Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education" (GAISE 2007), published by the American Statis...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Teaching children mathematics 2015-11, Vol.22 (4), p.218-228
Main Author: Groth, Randall E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Childrens Literature
Common Core State Standards
Elementary School Mathematics
Elementary School Students
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Graphs
Mathematical Concepts
Mathematical problems
Mathematics education
Mathematics Instruction
Mathematics Skills
Mathematics teachers
Measurement
Statistical Analysis
Statistics
Summer Programs
Teaching Methods
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Summary:Some statisticians have pointed out that the field of statistics essentially exists to study the variability seen in everyday life. Because variability is so foundational, the "Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education" (GAISE 2007), published by the American Statistical Association (ASA), recommend that teachers help students understand the nature of variability and its origins during their earliest experiences learning statistics. Given the importance of early work with statistical variability, elementary school teachers who are implementing the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) (CCSSI 2010) may face a dilemma: The word "variability" is not mentioned at all in K-grade 5 CCSSM. Randall Groth faced the CCSSM variability dilemma in a summer math camp for students in grades 2-5. He wanted to provide experiences to help them succeed with the measurement and data standards in CCSSM, but he also wanted the students to understand the nature and importance of statistical variability. He found that by selecting problem contexts carefully, he could provide experiences with all types of variability recommended for young learners in the GAISE report while addressing the graphing-focused standards of CCSSM. Herein he describes how within the span of three lessons, students worked with three types of variability from GAISE--natural, measurement, and induced--while also working with the types of statistical graphs required in CCSSM.
ISSN:1073-5836
2327-0780
DOI:10.5951/teacchilmath.22.4.0218