Averages: Computing Mean, Mode and Median

Materials: List of temperatures for South Florida cities for the month of January, 1996, paper, pencil,

Objectives: Students will be able to compute the average for a given set of data.

Mathematical Concepts: Probability

NCTM Standards:
Standard 8: Patterns and Functions
Standard 9: Algebra
Standard 10: Statistics

Procedure: Introduction:

Ask students why tourist generally come to South Florida. When 'the weather' is given as a reason, inform students that this South Florida 'attraction' will help in our understanding of averages.

Discuss with students the importance knowing average temperatures for weather professionals and ordinary citizens.

Development:

1. Give students a list of the daily high and low temperature for the month of January, 1996 (or whatever month is available to the teacher).

2. Explain how to compute the mean, mode, and median.

Mean: To compute the mean (sometimes called the average), 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.

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.

3. The mean, mode, and median of the daily high temperatures will be computed with students as each (mean, mode, and median) is explained.

4. Students will be assigned to compute the mean, mode, and median of the daily low temperatures.

Conclusion:

Students will volunteer to work out the mean, mode, and median for the class.

Extension:

The temperatures could be converted to Celsius, and the mean mode and median computed for the temperatures in Celsius.

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

Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM).

http://www.yahoo.com (For Weather information)

Contributors: Major: Kimberley Collie
Minor: Prof. Carol Marinas, Shervon Monrose