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Domain Statistics and Probability
Grade 6
Cluster Develop understanding of statistical variability.
Standard Recognize a statistical question as one that anticipates variability in the data related to the question and accounts for it in the answers. <span class='clarification'>For example, &ldquo;How old am I?&rdquo; is not a statistical question, but &ldquo;How old are the students in my school?&rdquo; is a statistical question because one anticipates variability in students' ages.</span>
Task Identifying Statistical Questions

Identifying Statistical Questions


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Alignments to Content Standards: 6.SP.A.1
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Task

Which of the following are statistical questions? (A statistical question is one that can be answered by collecting data and where there will be variability in that data.)

  1. How many days are in March?
  2. How old is your dog?
  3. On average, how old are the dogs that live on this street?
  4. What proportion of the students at your school like watermelons?
  5. Do you like watermelons?
  6. How many bricks are in this wall?
  7. What was the temperature at noon today at City Hall?

IM Commentary

Statistics is the study of variability. Students need to be able to identify and pose questions that can be answered by data that vary. The purpose of this task is to help students learn to distinguish between statistical questions and questions that are not statistical. A statistical question is one that can be answered by collecting data and where there will be variability in that data. This is different from a question that anticipates a deterministic answer. For example, "How many minutes do 6th grade students typically spend on homework each week?" is a statistical question. We would answer this question by collecting data from 6th graders, and we expect that not all 6th grade students spend the same amount of time on homework (meaning there will be variability in the data). On the other hand, "How much time did Juana spend on homework last night?" is not a statiscal question--it has a deterministic answer and is not answered by collecting data that vary.

Solution

  1. Not statistical. This question is answered by counting the number of days in March. This produces a single number. This question is not answered by collecting data that vary.
  2. Not statistical. This question is answered by a single number. It is not answered by collecting data that vary.
  3. Statistical. This question would be answered by collecting data, and there would be variability in that data.
  4. Statistical. This question would be answered by collecting data, and there would be variability in that data.
  5. Not statistical. This question is answered by a single response. It is not answered by collecting data that vary.
  6. Not statistical. This question would be answered by counting the bricks. This produces a single number. This question is not answered by collecting data that vary. 
  7. Non-statistical (there is one temperature).

Identifying Statistical Questions

Which of the following are statistical questions? (A statistical question is one that can be answered by collecting data and where there will be variability in that data.)

  1. How many days are in March?
  2. How old is your dog?
  3. On average, how old are the dogs that live on this street?
  4. What proportion of the students at your school like watermelons?
  5. Do you like watermelons?
  6. How many bricks are in this wall?
  7. What was the temperature at noon today at City Hall?
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