I wonder if,
“Do you like sports?”
is a statistical question.
In this lesson you will learn how to
define a statistical question by
comparing examples and nonexamples.
Let’s Review
Responses from 6th graders at
McKinley Middle School
A Common Mistake
Students ask questions with too few or too many
answers and do not state a specific population.
Do you like math?
What do you like
best about school?
Core Lesson
Do you like math?
Responses from 6th graders at
McKinley Middle School
Core Lesson
Responses from 6th graders at
McKinley Middle School
Core Lesson
What do you like best about
school?
Core Lesson
What is your
favorite sport on
TV?
Based upon U.S. viewer data
from The Nielsen Company.
Favorite Sports on TV
Core Lesson
What is your
favorite sport on
TV?
Responses from members of the
University of Connecticut
football team
Core Lesson
A statistical question:
 Expects a variety of answers.
 Includes a specific population.
 Has variability in the responses.
In this lesson you have learned how to
define a statistical question by
comparing examples and nonexamples.
Guided Practice
Which of these is a statistical question?
Is chocolate your
favorite ice cream
flavor?
What is your
favorite flavor of
ice cream?
Quick Quiz
Which of these is a statistical question?
How many miles do I live from school?
How many miles do the students in my school live
from school?
Quick Quiz
Which of these is a statistical question?
How many books did the students at Roberts Middle
School read this summer?
How many books did you read today?
How can you create a statistical question
that has variability?
Often students write questions with only two
possible answers and do not state the
population.
“Do you like listening to music?”
Yes or No.
“Do you like listening to music?”
What is 6th graders’
favorite type of
music?
Who is Room
16’s favorite
singer?
How many hours
per week do 6th
graders listen to
music?
Variability is the number of different answers
you hear.
How many answers could you expect to hear
if you asked 16 sixth graders at Taylor Middle
School this question:
What did you eat for dinner last
night?
2
1
0
“What did you eat for dinner last night?”
What is the 6th
graders’ favorite meal
in the school
cafeteria?
What is the favorite
Mexican food at
Taylor Middle
School?
To write a good statistical question:
Think about the different answers you expect
to hear and edit your question.
Remember to state the population.
Look at this question: “Do you like dogs?”
How many responses would you expect to
hear? How could we rewrite it to account for
more variability?
Rewrite this question to make it a statistical
question that accounts for variability:
“Do 6th graders at Peterson Middle School
like apples or oranges?”
Rewrite this question to make it a statistical
question that accounts for variability:
“What street do residents of Alexandria live
on?”
Write 5 Statistical Questions?