TOPIC: Computing Mean, Mode and Median

Grade Level: 9

Materials: Calculator, paper, pencil

Objectives: Students will compute the mean, mode and median for data collected on players' height at a basketball game.

Mathematical Concepts: mean, mode, median, division.

NCTM Standards:
Standard 1: Mathematics as problem solving
Standard 2: Communication
Standard 7: Computation and Estimation
Standard 11: Probability.

Procedure: Teacher asks students for important skills and description of good basketball players (expected answers: height, speed, alertness, dribbling skills, etc.). Asks students to briefly share their knowledge about how the game is played.

Explains how to compute the mean, mode and median for a given data set.

Mean: To compute the mean, add the values of all the entries and then divide by the number of entries.

Mean = sum of all the entries
number of entries

Mode: The mode is the value that occurs most frequently in the data set. To compute the mode add the number of times each value occurs in the data set.

Median: The median is the central value of an ordered distribution.
To obtain the median, order the values from the smallest to the largest. Then pick or construct the middle score. If the data set has an even number of entries, add the two middle values and divide by 2.

Students are given information on the heights of players at a basketball game (the heights given on the worksheet are those of players, by numbers, from a game between Barry University and Florida Southern College on February 20, 1996 at Barry University).

Students will complete the worksheet individually.

Assessment: Students will share their answers for the problems given.

Homework: Students will be asked to calculate the mean, mode and median for the weight of the players. First for Barry University, then for Florida Southern College, then for both.

Extension: Using the same information about the players, students could present their data in the form of graphs.

References: Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics, NCTM, 1989; Barry University Buccaneer Basketball pamphlet.

Brase, Charles H, & Brase, Corrinne P. (1991). Understandable Statistics, Fourth Edition, D C Heath & Company, Lexington, MA.

Contributors: Major: Kimberley Collie
Minor: Carol Marinas

Worksheet

Barry University Players By Numbers

Number Height Weight (pounds)

3 6'1" 155

5 6'5" 195

11 6'1" 170

14 5'11" 155

22 6'10" 225

23 6'5" 200

24 6'4" 190

25 6'4" 195

32 6'8" 210

34 6'4" 215

40 6'4" 210

Florida Southern College By Player Number

Number Height Weight (pounds)

4 5'10" 155

12 6'1" 160

20 6'4" 190

22 6'7" 222

23 6'3" 180

24 6'5" 190

25 6'3" 185

30 6'4" 200

32 6'7" 200

33 5'11" 172

40 6'9" 195

44 6'8" 235

Answer the following question based on the data given:

1. What is the mode height of both teams combined?

2. In order to be as tall as the player(s) with the median height, how tall must a player be on both team?

3. How much taller or shorter is Barry's mean height than Florida Southern's mean height?

4. Which three players from Florida Southern will give you a mean height of 6'3".