Asking Good Questions

What is a statistical question?

Standard

• MCC6.SP.1. Recognize a statistical question as one that anticipates variability in the data related to the question and accounts for it in the answers. For example, “How old am I?” is not a statistical question, but “How old are the students in my school?” is a statistical question because one anticipates variability in students’ ages.

Essential Question

•What are the characteristics of a good statistical question, and how do I write a good statistical question?

I wonder if, “Do you like sports?”

is a statistical question.

A Common Mistake

Students ask questions with too few or too many answers and do not state a

specific population.

Do you like math?

What do you like best about

school?

Core Lesson Do you like math?

Responses from 6th graders at McKinley Middle School

What do you like best about school?

Too Many Choices

• Now let’s look at the other question, “What do you like best about school?” Let’s imagine how this graph might look. Whoa! There are so many answers that everyone gave a different answer, except for computers which received 2 votes. This is not a statistical question because there are too many answer choices. The number of answers given is called, “variability”. Statistical questions should ideally have about variability of 4-6 answers. Also, this graph does not include the population that was sampled, or surveyed. Do you think the responses would be different if adults were asked this question instead of students?

What is Your Favorite Subject in School?

Core LessonFavorite Sports on TV

What is your favorite sport

on TV?

Based upon U.S. viewer data from The Nielsen Company.

Think About….

• Suppose you asked this question to the University of Georgia football team. Would it be a statistical question?

• There is no variability in the responses, so it is NOT a good statistical question.

Core Lesson

What is your favorite sport

on TV?

Responses from members of the University of GEORGIA football team

A statistical question:

• Asks about a topic of interest.• Includes a specific population.• Has variability in the responses.

Guided Practice

Which of these is a statistical question?

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Is chocolate your favorite

ice cream flavor?

Which of these is a statistical question?

• How many miles do I live from school?

• How many miles do the students in my school live from school?

Which of these is a statistical question?

• How many books did the students at Jeff Davis Middle School read this summer?

• How many books did you read today?

HOW CAN YOU CREATE A STATISTICAL QUESTION THAT HAS VARIABILITY?

Variability

• Variability is the number of different answers you hear.

Core Lesson

How many answers could you expect to hear if you asked 16 sixth graders at

Jeff Davis Middle School this question:

What did you eat for dinner last night?

Core Lesson

Frie

d Chi

cken

Spag

hetti

Mac a

nd C

hees

e

Kung

Pao

Chick

en

Hot D

ogs

Hambu

rger

s

Slop

py Jo

es

Chick

en N

ugge

ts

Lasa

gna

Chees

ebur

gers

Barbe

cue

Shrim

p

Chow M

ein

Pork

Cho

ps

Taco

sEg

gs0

1

2

Let’s Make It Better!!!• What is the 6th graders’ favorite meal in

the school cafeteria?

• What is the favorite Mexican food at Jeff Davis Middle School?

To write a good statistical question:

• Think about the different answers you expect to hear and edit your question.

• Remember to state the population.

Look at this question: “Do you like dogs?”

How many responses would you expect to hear? How could we rewrite it to account for more variability?

Let’s Practice

Rewrite this question to make it a statistical question that accounts for variability:

“Do 6th graders at Jeff Davis Middle School like apples or oranges?”

Your Turn….

Try It!

• Write your own good statistical question.