1. Question What is a Question?
Today’s lesson talks about different types of questions.
Why do we ask questions? Pause and allow the students to answer without giving a right or wrong response. a
Question?

2. a world famous expert on questions.
Let’s hear from
a world famous expert on questions.
Now we will hear from an expert about questions.
Click video link. If the link does not work please use the attached mp4 file.
Cookie Monster taught us that a question is a good way to find out information.

3. question a sentence in an interrogative form, addressed to someone
in order to get information in reply
a problem for discussion or 
under discussion; 
a matter for investigation
So what is a question?
According to Dictionary.com a question is a sentence in an interrogative form…. What does interrogative mean? [Dictionary.com says interrogative means in the tone of a question]. So it is a sentence, in the tone of a question, addressed to someone with the intent of gathering information. Does that make sense? Today’s lesson is all about asking a question with the intent of gathering data or gathering information.
Another definition from Dictionary.com. A question is a problem for discussion or UNDER discussion; a question is a matter for investigation. What does investigation mean? [Allow the students to answer. Dictionary.com defines investigation as a search for the facts.] We will ALSO search for the facts today.

4. 2 types of questionS
A statistical question is a question that can be answered by collecting data, and different answers are expected.
A non-statistical question is answered by a single response, and is not answered by collecting data.
So we know what a question is but what is a STATISTICAL QUESTION?
A statistical question is one that can be answered by collecting data and where there will be variability (different answers) in that data.
A non-statistical question is answered by a single response. It is not answered by collecting data that vary.

5. question
A GOOD statistical question must have a specific topic, a population, variance or in other words several possible answers related to the data.
So how do we ask a good statistical question? A statistical question must have a specific topic (food, tv, sports, etc.), population (6 graders, an entire school, parents, etc.), and variance which simply means several possible answers.

6. How old are the students in your school?
question
How old are you?
How old are the students in your school?
So let’s see what you know. Both of these are questions but which one is a statistical question?
How many think the yellow question is a statistical question?
How many think the blue question is a statistical question?
Take a second….. Now cast your vote. Justify your response.

7. question What are the heights of the students in your class?
What is the height of the tallest student in this class?
What are the heights of the students in your class?
Both of these are questions but which one is a statistical question?
Raise your hand if you think the red question is a statistical question.
Raise you hand if you think the orange question is a statistical question.
Take a second….. Now cast your vote. Explain your answer.

8. question TOPICS & POPULATION Pets Shoe size Average Bedtime
Here are topics I have always wanted to know about.
The shoe sizes of 6th graders vary widely. But what does that mean?
Also, I wonder if my 6th graders have pets. And how many pets do they have?
I always hear 6th graders talk about their annoying younger sister or brother and their bossy big sister or brother. Do all 6th graders have siblings? If so, how many siblings do they have?
Why are 6th graders so tired in the morning? What time do they go to bed?
How much TV do they watch?
ANNOYING Siblings
TV time

9. Use tape to place each question in the right category on the board
Pair up with a partner
Take out a sheet of paper
Tear it in half
Using a dark marker, write a statistical on one half & non-statistical question on the other half.
In a little bit we will collect data (information), from your population (classmates, 6th graders, 11 year olds, etc.), about a specific topic (the ones we saw on the other slide, height, bedtime, siblings, favorite subject, ice cream flavors).
But first we must be able to formulate a statistical question in order to gather this information. Remember, you must ask the right question (as cookie monster showed us) in a way that will result in at least between 4 and 6 answers. You have about 3 minutes for this activity.
Please take out a sheet of paper. Pause and allow the students to take out a sheet of paper. Tear it in half (horizontal). Using the dark marker on your table, take one half and write a statistical question for ONLY 1 TOPIC as big as you can. On the other half you are going to write a non-statistical question for ONLY 1 TOPIC as big as you can. When you have your 2 questions, come and tape them to the board under STAT ? Sign or NON-STAT ? Signs depending on the type of question you wrote.
Once students are finished, discuss as a class each question, what category it is in and why, and which questions may be in the wrong category. Ask the students why is the question in the wrong category. Have the students re-word the question so that it becomes a statistical question.
Use tape to place each question in the right category on the board

10. A statistical question
Specific topic +
population
Variability or several possible answers related to the data =
A statistical question
So let’s keep the formula up for a good statistical question and let’s check to see if we have formulated good statistical questions.
Review and discuss questions students placed on the board.

11. 3) Siblings (list the total number of sisters/brothers)
question
Average shoe size
2) TV time
3) Siblings (list the total number of sisters/brothers)
4) Pets
5) Average bedtime
Here are the topics we will investigate today. 1) The average shoe size of a 6th grader. 2) Average TV time 3) Average number of siblings (sisters/brothers) each classmate has 4) Average number of pets and finally 6) average bedtime of a 6 grader.
I want you to begin to think about how to write a statistical question in order to collect the data from this class. What are some statistical questions you come up with?

12. question 4) Go around the room & collect data from each student
Form topic groups
2) Write your statistical question
3) Come up with a plan for collecting the data
4) Go around the room & collect data from each student
Now it’s time to do the work. I will break you into topic groups. Suggestion… count off your class in 5’s and have all the 1’s take topic 1 all the 2’s take topic 2, and so on.
Now that your group and topic groups are formed you have 3 minutes to come up with a statistical question and bring it to my desk for approval. Allow the students to work together, put the ONLINE STOPWATCH on the board so they are aware of their time, and walk around and approve the questions they have come up with.
Now how will you collect this data? Of course you are going to use a paper and pencil, but how are you going to organize your data? What will be your column and what will be your rows? You have 3 minutes to come up with a plan for collecting your data. Walk around and give suggestions on how to organize the data. For instance, favorite ice cream flavors has 6 flavors listed across the top and they can use the tally method. For the siblings, the can just put a number on the paper even if it is 0.
Now for the final step in collecting our data. Each group must ask each student in the class. One student can ask while the other records the data. I suggest that you break your group into 2 groups. Have 1 group only ask and record the data for the GIRLS in the class and the other group ask and record the data for the BOYS in the group. Then your group comes together with all the data and record it onto 1 sheet.
You will have between 7 to 10 minutes to gather the data. Project the ONLINE STOPWATCH so students can gauge their time.

13. question 1) Find the MEAN
Add all the numbers together and divide the SUM by the number of people you interviewed
Now it’s time to organize the data.
Let’s begin by finding the average response. In statistics we call that the mean. You have covered this before in earlier grades but let’s just review to be sure everyone is on board.
How do we find the mean? To find the mean you add all the numbers together and divide by the number of entries.
Can someone tell me what this number tells us about the average 6 grader?

14. Subtract the highest number from the lowest number
question
1) Find the RANGE
Subtract the highest number from the lowest number
Next, let’s find the RANGE.
To find the range you find the difference between the largest and smallest values in the set of numbers.
Tell me…. What does the range tell us about the 6th graders and this topic?

15. question What is the average (the mean) shoe size of a 6 grader?
2) What is the average (the mean) TV time of a 6 grader?
3) What is the average (the mean) total number of siblings of the 6 grader?
4) What is the total number of Pets an average (the mean) 6 grader has?
5) What is the average (the mean) bedtime of a 6 grader?
Let’s present and share the data what we have discovered about 6 graders.
So let’s start with Topic 1. What can we conclude about the mean shoe size of a 6 grader? Who do you think this information would be useful to? (shoe companies, NIKE, etc.)
What can we conclude about Topic 2 the mean TV time of a 6 grader? Who do you think this information would be useful to? (McDonalds ads, TV programmers, movie ads, etc.)
What can we conclude about Topic 3 the mean number of siblings a 6 grader has? Who do you think this information would be useful to?
What can we conclude about Topic 4 the mean number of pets a 6 grader has? Who do you think this information would be useful to?
What can we conclude about Topic 5 the mean bedtime of a 6 grader? Who do you think this information would be useful to?