Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Good day Bill.
I am thankful for this blog because it allows teachers to practice precise mathematical language when constructing arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others. 🙂
With that said, I will attempt to be as clear as possible.
The reason I have posted in this thread is to ask you if the idea of the mode is indicated in 6.SP.2? “Understand that a set of data collected to answer a statistical question has a distribution which can be described by its center, spread, and overall shape.” The Arizona math standards included the following statement in examples for 6.SP.2: “Students consider the context in which the data were collected and identify clusters, peaks, gaps, and symmetry.” Is a peak the same idea as the mode?
When describing the overall shape of the data displayed in a dot plot, the use of the word “peak” certainly has meaning for students, while the word “mode” is another word to memorize. I am in no way “married to the mode” but just curious if the meaning of the mode is still contained in the common core in terms of the overall shape of the data, while at the same time correctly disconnected as a measure of center.
Thanks for all you do.
