Making Sense of Data Mr Levin What Is

Making Sense of Data Mr. Levin

What Is Data? Putting It In Order Figuring It Out

What Is Data? Putting It In Order Figuring It Out What Does it Mean?

What Is Data? § A set of related measurements § Objects, ideas, or opinions § Can be compared to each other § Sometimes in multiple groups

Back Example Data Sets § Class birthdays § Class shoe sizes § Dinner times at home § Page counts in 5 th and 6 th grade textbooks § Favorite colors § More examples from real life

Putting It In Order § Data can be disorganized § Easier to make sense when in order § Cluster like data points together § Order from least to greatest if possible § Keep groups separate § E. g. 5 th grade and 6 th grade

Back Putting It In Order 2 1 6 2 1 5 5 3 2

Figuring It Out § How can we look at data? § What can we say about it? § Describe what we have § Predict what we find next

Back Four Key Ways Range Mode Mean Median

Range § Difference between highest and lowest data point § Shows overall closeness of data

Back Range 1 2 3 4 5 6

Mode § Most common data value § May be anywhere in range

Back Mode 1 2 3 4 5 6

Mean § Also called the average § Found by “levelling out” data set § Sometimes, result is not part of data set

Mean 1 3 2 3 2 3 3 5 3 6 3

Back Finding Mean By Arithmetic 1. Add up the values of all data points 2. Divide by the number of data points 3. You’re done!

Median § The value of the middle data point § Half of data will be same or more § Half of data will be same or less § If there’s no middle point, split the difference § Take the mean of the two middle points

Median 1 1 2 2 2 3 5 5 6

Back Median 1 1 2 2 3 5 5 6

What Does It Mean? § Pick a kind of data § What would the range mean? § Mode? Median? Average? § Does your family use this? How? § What if data doesn’t have an order?