Summarizing Data Graphically
Activity 27
Making a Survey
Lesson 27-1 Survey Questions and Variability
My Notes
Learning Targets:
Identify statistical questions.
Interpret the variability of data collected from a survey.
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SUGGESTED LEARNING STRATEGIES: Graphic Organizer,
Discussion Groups, Vocabulary Organizer, Sharing and Responding
1. Answer the “Take a Snapshot” survey (on page 349). Do not write
your name on the paper. When you have finished, carefully tear out
the page and give it to your teacher.
Refer to the questions on the class survey to answer Items 2–4.
2. How do you think your classmates’ answers to the survey questions
will compare to your answers to the survey questions?
3. Read the following questions:
(a) What is your teacher’s height?
(b) How many pets does your teacher have?
Will these questions have more than one possible answer?
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4. How are the “Take a Snapshot” survey questions different from the
questions in Item 3?
The answers to statistical questions will be different from one person to
another. For example, each of your classmates has a different birth date.
5. Which of the questions on the “Take a Snapshot” survey do you
think would have student answers with the most variability? Explain
why you chose this question. Share your answer with your group and
list any details you may not have considered before. If you do not
know the exact words to describe your ideas, use synonyms or request
assistance from group members to help you convey your ideas.
MATH TERMS
A statistical question is one that
produces answers that vary from
person to person. Variability
refers to how many different
answers there are to a statistical
question.
Activity 27 • Summarizing Data Graphically 347
Lesson 27-1
Survey Questions and Variability
Activity 27
continued
My Notes
Math Tip
Remember that a variable is a
number that changes depending
on the problem situation.
MATH TERMS
A distribution is the collection of
all the values for the possible
answers to a statistical question.
6. Which of the questions on the “Take a Snapshot” survey do you
think would have student answers with the least variability? Explain
why you chose this question.
7. Read the following statistical questions. The answers to the questions
have distributions with different amounts of variability. Would you
expect these questions to produce distributions with a lot of variability
or very little variability?
a. How tall are high school students? b. What are the scores on a hard math test? c. How much actual medicine is in each pill? 8. Suppose that a math test had very little variability. What would that
tell you about the distribution of test grades?
Check Your Understanding
10. How do you recognize questions that will produce answers with a
lot of variability?
LESSON 27-1 PRACTICE
Suppose you just watched a basketball game between the Knights and
the Tornadoes.
11. Create a question about the game that is NOT a statistical question.
12. Create a question about the game that is a statistical question.
13. Predict a low or a high variability for the following question: Which
player had the best game?
14. Create a question about the game that will have a distribution with
low variability.
15. Model with mathematics. Create a question about the game that
will have a distribution with a lot of variability.
348 Unit 6 • Data Analysis
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9. Decide which questions below are statistical questions. Compare
your answers with a partner’s answers. Discuss any answers on
which you differ and choose one answer.
a. What day of the week is it today? b. What colors of cars do the teachers at this school drive?
c. How thick are the books in the school’s library?
d.How thick is this SpringBoard math book?
Lesson 27-1
Survey Questions and Variability
Activity 27
continued
My Notes
“Take a Snapshot” Survey
Please answer the following questions about yourself to the best of your
ability. This survey is anonymous; do not put your name on it.
1. Gender (boy or girl)
2. Eye color
3. Height (in inches, round to the nearest inch)
4. How many people usually live in your home
(including yourself)
5. Number of the month in which you were born
(January = 1, February = 2, and so on)
6. Number of pets
7. Which of the following superpowers would you
most like to have: the ability to read minds, to freeze time, to fly, to be invisible, or to have super strength?
8. Room number of your homeroom
9. Number of minutes it took you to get ready for
school today
10. Number of hours you spent on a computer in the
last week
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11. Number of pieces of gum chewed in a typical day
12. Your hand span (rounded to the nearest cm)
Measure from the tip of your thumb to the tip of your small finger with your fingers spread apart as far as possible.
Activity 27 • Summarizing Data Graphically 349