Averaging
           
Sharon Thomas                  Emmanuel Christian School
                               8301 S. Damen Ave.
                               Chicago, Illinois 60620
                               312-239-6829

Objectives:

This lesson is appropriate for sixth graders.
1. Student will be able to identify the range.
2. Student will be able to recognize the score that occurs most frequently in 
   the distribution. 
3. Student will be able to locate the middle point in the distribution. 
4. Student will be able to find the average of a given set of numbers. 

Materials:

 Calculators
 Group (4 students)
 Index cards
 Measuring tapes
 Test papers

Recommended Strategy:

1. Write Test results on the chalkboard.
2. Give a brief introduction about the importance of the 
   "Measures of Central Tendency".
3. Introduce the terms RANGE, MODE, MEDIAN and MEAN.
4. Distribute the Test results.
5. Subtract the lowest score from the highest score.
6. Find the score that occurs most frequently in the distribution.
7. Arrange data in numerical order.  Locate the middle point in the
   distribution.  For an even number of scores, there will be two
   middle numbers.  Add these numbers and then divide by two.
8. Find the sum of the scores and then divide by the number of scores.

Activities:

1. Divide students into groups.  Each must find the RANGE and MEAN of
  a) heights 
  b) distance from home to school 
  c) time spent watching TV 
  d) students in the class 
  e) sit ups done weekly

2. Games
      a) BOWL-A-RAMA. Each bowler has an average of 90 at the end of
         the sixth game.Students have to complete the chart to show each
         bowler's score in the 6th game.
      b) One student is selected from each group and is given a card
         with a distribution of numbers to find the MEAN, MEDIAN and MODE.
         The winner chosen is the student with the same number for each 
         MEASURE of CENTRAL TENDENCY.

References:

             "Modern Elementary Statistics" by John E. Freund. 4th Edition.
             "The Numbers Game" by Robert S. Reichard.