LESSON PLAN FOR NHL HOCKEY STATS GRADE 6 (Jonathan Ball)
Curriculum Expectations
Overall:
Number Sense:
- multiplication and division of whole numbers
Data Management:
- collect and organize … secondary data and display the data using charts and graphs
- read, describe, and interpret data and explain relationships between sets of data;
Grade 6 Specific:
– read, interpret, and draw conclusions from secondary data (e.g., sports data in the newspaper, data
from the Internet about movies), presented in charts, tables, and graphs
– demonstrate an understanding of mean
– demonstrate, through investigation, an understanding of how data from charts, tables, and graphs can
be used to make inferences and convincing arguments
Task/Problem
To determine whether a given hockey player is above or
below average in a given attribute, and to display the results
on a class bar graph.
Before: Minds on/Activate Prior Knowledge
1) Review “Hockey Superstars”, NHL player statistics
(nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm) and the terms:
“Stats” (statistics)
Top 30
PPG (points per game)
2) Discuss: How do we know if a hockey player is
performing well? (The answer I’m looking for: We can
compare to the mean).
3) Give each pair a preselected NHL player’s name and,
using the NHL page, have them estimate if he is above or
below the Top-30 mean.
During: Hands on
Questions:
What do we know about the mean (“The mean is a balance
between high and low. A middle ground”)
What are we being asked (“To rate a player’s value”)
How can we solve (“Compare player stats to a mean”)
Learning Goal
Using sports data from the internet, I
will be able to calculate the mean and
display and interpret the significance of
the results in a bar graph.
Student Success Criteria
- I know how to divide the sum of a set
by the number of numbers in that set to
calculate the mean.
- I know that the mean is a value that
balances a set of data.
- I can compare a players’ stats to the
mean to determine how well that player
is performing this season.
- Using a bar graph I can compare my
player with other players
- I can show my work in a bar graph.
Strategies
- Find the Top-30 Points mean and
evaluate player
- Use multiple attributes to get a better
overall sense of the player (level 4)
Tools
Calculator
Partner work:
1) Create graph axis (player vs. points). Cut out a blue bar
and glue it on to display a pre-selected player’s score.
1pt=5cm.
2) Determine top-30 mean (one student reads and records,
the other calculates)
3) Display mean bar next to player bar using red.
After: Consolidation/Congress
Computer (online)
Paper/Pencil
Scissors
Glue
Construction paper (red/blue).
Misconceptions
Ask pairs to compare their player’s points to other players
and post graphs in descending order.
Congress Questions
Debate the reliability of these graphs, the advantages and
disadvantages. Would an NHL scout base a million dollar
trade on this information?
-
Computational error calculating
mean
Does not know mean algorithm
Does not understand concept of
mean
Assessment
Tyler Seguin (Dallas, C) has 73 points and played 68 games.
Evegi Malkin (Pittsburgh, C) has 72 points and played 60
games. Who is having a better season?
73/68= 1.07 points per game
72/60= 1.2 points per game
-
Student work (mean calculation
and graph)
Observational Discussion
participation
Next lesson: All –Star line up
A hockey line is made up of 6 players: C, LW, RW, D, D, G.
1) Hand out random top -30 players (5 for each position).
Have student determine mean for that position and use a bar graph to compare player to
mean (use “Goals Against Average” for goalies).
2) Post results.
Whole class: put together an All-Star line.
Question:
Can we compare the All-Star mean to the Top-30 mean?
Hockey Superstars
(Romanuk 2011; Scholastic) and
NHL.com
(www.nhl.com/ice/statshome.htm)
Curriculum Expectations
Overall:
Number Sense:
- solve problems involving the multiplication and division of whole numbers
Data Management:
- collect and organize discrete or continuous primary data and secondary data and display
the
data using charts and graphs, including continuous line graphs;
- read, describe, and interpret data, and explain relationships between sets of data;
Grade 6 Specific:
– read, interpret, and draw conclusions from secondary data (e.g., sports data in the
newspaper, data from the Internet about movies), presented in charts, tables, and graphs
– demonstrate an understanding of mean
– demonstrate, through investigation, an understanding of how data from charts, tables,
and graphs can be used to make inferences and convincing arguments
Concept
Using sports data from the internet, I will be able to calculate the mean and interpret the
significance of the results in a bar graph.
Using current sports data* to teach literacy is an effective way to attract reluctant readers
to non-fiction text (Ontario Curriculum Reading 1.1), and for young hockey fans the
information they glean from this text serves an immediate purpose (Reading 1.2).
Hockey Superstars offers a one-page summary of an NHL player, accompanied by some
pertinent season-statistics: Games Played, Goals, Assists, Points, and Penalty Minutes.
On the surface, one would not consider this a “math story”. There are, however, some
rich math connections to be explored: namely, data management.
In order to provide students with a broader set of data, I found it helpful to make use of
NHL’s excellent player statistics website which can be manipulated like a spreadsheet to
rank according to various attributes (e.g. Left Wing Players ranked by Power Play
Points). Ideally, one would make use of a set of tablets or laptops to teach this lesson.
The essential question here is “How can one determine the value of an NHL player?”
One might find it useful to have the students imagine themselves as team scouts looking
for prospective players. How might they go about comparing a given player to a) another
given player and b) to a set of “Top 30” players in the league?
*NB- I only had access to the “2009-2010 Hockey Superstars” at my school Ideally I
would have selected the current one.
Introduce the Book
I would introduce this book with a Picture Walk, starting with the front cover to get some
immediate interest. I would activate prior knowledge by asking for students who might
have had experiences watching a hockey game, playing it at recess, or playing it after
school on a team. After gently guiding the students towards some of the terms that will
appear later in the lesson (e.g. rank, points, assists, etc.). I would choose one page for a
read-aloud and discuss terminology.
After reading this page, I would open NHL stats page (preferably on an IWB) and have
students interact with the statistics (whole class). We might discuss trends that appear
(e.g. “I see there are no Goalies on this list”, “I see that players played way fewer games
in the 2012-2013 season; that must be because of the lockout!”).
Linking Literacy to Numeracy
Please see attached lesson plan.