These lesson plans were developed in conjunction with the TLRI research project: Building students’ inferential reasoning: statistics curriculum levels 5 and 6.

While each series of activities are set up as lesson plans, they may take more or less than a lesson of class time. They form a possible sequence of learning and each block works together with the other blocks. The lessons are developed using CensusAtSchool (2009) data, they could be adapted to any data set or any year of CensusAtSchool.

Block 1: Introduction to the PPDAC cycle, posing investigative questions and writing descriptions for summary and comparison investigative questions.

Block 2: Introduction to sampling, drawing dot plots and box plots, writing descriptions from dot plots and box plots.

Block 3: Moving from box plots to making the call and writing conclusions.

Lesson 1: PPDAC Cycle

Focus for lesson:
• Reflect on Level 4 work
• PPDAC Cycle
• Introduce CensusAtSchool data set
• Setting up the context

Key Competencies:

• Thinking
  • reflect on learning
• Understanding symbols, language and texts
  • know, use and interpret specialised vocabulary
• Participating and contributing
  • contribute to thinking groups

Lesson 2: Posing Investigative Questions

Focus for lesson:
• Posing investigative questions
• Initial look at making displays using data cards
• Starting to think about what makes a good investigative question

Key Competencies:
Thinking:
Investigating
Engage in sense making

Relating to Others:
Share ideas
Work in groups
Communicate findings

Using Language, Symbols and Texts:
Communicate thinking
Interpret visual representations such as graphs, diagrams

Managing Self:
Make decisions

Lesson 3: Single distribution descriptions

Focus for lesson:
• Describing summary type graphs
• Writing conclusions to questions

Key Competencies:
Thinking:
Exploring and using patterns and relationships in data
Analyse
Make connections

Relating to Others:
Interpret statistical information
Share ideas

Using Language, Symbols and Texts:
Communicate thinking
Interpret statistical information
Know, use and interpret specialised vocabulary
Interpret visual representations such as graphs, diagrams

Managing Self:
Seek understanding

Lesson 4: Comparison descriptions

Focus for lesson:
• Describing comparison type graphs
• Writing conclusions to questions

Key Competencies:
Thinking:
Analyse
Make connections
Using Language, Symbols and Texts:
Communicate thinking
Know, use and interpret specialised vocabulary
Explore different representations
Interpret visual representations such as graphs, diagrams
Managing Self:
Seek understanding
Participating and Contributing:
Contribute to a culture of inquiry and learning

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Level 5 Statistical Investigations Lesson Plans