What Makes a Statistical Question
Aligned to 6.SP.A.1 — Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.
What this lesson teaches
A statistical question is one you expect will get different answers — it anticipates variability. A question with a single fixed answer is not statistical.
Worked examples
Example 1
'How tall am I?' has one answer, so it is not statistical. 'How tall are the students in my class?' expects many different heights, so it is a statistical question.
Example 2
'What year was I born?' is not statistical. 'What years were the students in my class born?' expects variety, so it is.
Example 3
A statistical question needs answers that vary. If everyone would answer the same, there is nothing to analyze.
Practice questions
- Is 'What is my age today?' a statistical question? Why or why not?
- Rewrite 'How many pets do I have?' as a statistical question.
- Explain why 'How many hours do sixth graders sleep?' is statistical.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Qué Hace a una Pregunta Estadística
Una pregunta estadística es aquella que esperas que reciba respuestas diferentes: anticipa variabilidad. Una pregunta con una sola respuesta fija no es estadística.
Ejemplo 1: '¿Cuánto mido?' tiene una sola respuesta, así que no es estadística. '¿Cuánto miden los estudiantes de mi salón?' espera muchas estaturas distintas, así que sí es una pregunta estadística.
Ejemplo 2: '¿En qué año nací?' no es estadística. '¿En qué años nacieron los estudiantes de mi salón?' espera variedad, así que sí lo es.
Ejemplo 3: Una pregunta estadística necesita respuestas que varíen. Si todos contestarían lo mismo, no hay nada que analizar.
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