Worksheet directions

Grade 6 • Guided Practice • Work with your teacher or a partner. Discuss the model or strategy, then complete each problem.

Sample questions

1. Compute the mean and MAD for [2, 6, 6, 10]. Show the four distances from the mean and explain why signed differences cannot be averaged for this purpose.
2. Trip times are [5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 27] minutes. Find the mean and median. Which center and spread measures would you report for typical trips here: mean with MAD, or median with IQR? Explain using the unusual trip.
3. A report describes a class dataset using only the mean 12. Explain why a measure such as IQR or MAD and a description of shape would improve the report. Use two possible datasets with mean 12 as examples.
4. Datasets A = [4, 5, 5, 6] and B = [1, 5, 5, 9] have the same mean. Compute each MAD and explain which varies more.
5. A report describes a class dataset using only the mean 8. Explain why a measure such as IQR or MAD and a description of shape would improve the report. Use two possible datasets with mean 8 as examples.
6. Datasets A = [12, 13, 13, 14] and B = [9, 13, 13, 17] have the same mean. Compute each MAD and explain which varies more.

See the preview for diagrams, answer spaces, and the complete layout.

Common Core connections

Source labels: 6.SP.B.5d, 6.SP.A.2–3, 6.SP.B.5, 6.SP.B.5c,d. Review the learning goals below to check the fit for your class.

• 6.SP.B.5 — Summarize numerical data sets
• 6.SP.A.2 — Describe a distribution
• 6.SP.A.3 — Measures of center and variation

Bring it into your lesson

Review the preview and question content above. Open the resource in Sparkclass to copy it to your Files and use it in your workspace. Check the resulting layout before sharing it with students.