Raisins, Raisins, Raisins

This lesson involves students in collecting data,organizing data into a line plot, discussing statistics, calculating mean, medain and mode and consumer awareness.

A lesson plan for grades 5–6 Mathematics

By Melanie Simmons

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Related topics

• Learn more about data analysis, data collection, hands-on, mathematics, mean, median, and mode.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• learn how to collect data by counting raisins.
• learn how to calculate mean, median, and mode of personal data and class data.
• create a class line plot and to be able to discuss and interpret the results that can be reached from this plot.
• disscuss the difference in different brands of raisins and what to consider as consumers when making purchases.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

1 hour

Materials/resources

• Small snack size boxes of raisins- at least one for every student. (May want to repeat experiment with different brands.)
• Clean space to count out raisins
• Paper to collect data
• Large sheet of paper or chalk board to record data collected by entire class
• Calculator - if desired

Activities

1. Give students an overview of what the activity involves and the rules for counting and eating raisins.
2. Pass out the boxes of raisins and ask student to predict how many raisins that they think their box contains. This works on their prediction and estimation skills.
3. Have each student pour out and count the number of raisins in their box.
4. Every student should record their count on the class line plot that should have been set up at the front of the room in a easily accessible location.
5. Once the entire class has recorded their data, introduce or review the concepts of mean, median and mode. The line plot is a perfect way to visualize these concepts. Show students how to use the line plot information to see the median and mode without having to write a series of numbers down.
6. Once every student has calculated the mean, median and mode have a class discussion about their findings and why the numbers may or may not vary.
7. Repeat the experiment with a different brand of raisins to see if their is much variation in brands and if there is, discuss possible reasons why and what consumers need to be aware of as they make purchases.
8. This activity would also be very effective if done in small groups and then the group data is collected to make a class graph. If done in small groups, students can calculate and compare the mean and median and mode of their small group with that of the large group and discuss how the sample size affects the experiment results.

Assessment

Upon completion of the activity and the discussion that accompanies it, teachers can assess student understanding by presenting students with another data set and asking them to complete a line plot. After completing the line plot, students can calculate mean, median and mode and interpret the results.

Supplemental information

This activity can be used in several ways. It can be used to introduce statistics, mean, median, mode and creating line plots or it can be used as an enrichment activity or culminating activity.

Comments

I participated in a variation of this lesson myself as a graduate student and found it to be most enlightening as to the visual explanation of median and mode. I teach classes of less than 15 students so I usually have each student perform individually and then work together to interpret class results.