Session 4: Practice Activities
Time to Practice!
6 activities to reinforce what you learned. Try them all!
Difficulty levels: Easy Medium Challenge
1 Side-by-Side Creator Easy Activity
Survey two different groups (like boys vs. girls, or two different classes) about the same question. Create a side-by-side bar chart. What differences do you see?
2 Mean Comparison Easy Activity
Calculate the mean of two datasets: Group A: 78, 82, 85, 91, 74. Group B: 88, 90, 72, 95, 80. Which group has the higher mean? By how much?
3 Range Analysis Medium Activity
For the same two datasets above, calculate the range of each group. Which group is more consistent? Does the more consistent group also have the higher mean?
4 Fair Comparison Check Medium Discussion
Read 3 comparison claims and decide if each is fair or unfair: (1) 'Class A scored higher on the test' (Class A had 30 students, Class B had 8). (2) 'Brand X lasts longer than Brand Y' (tested under identical conditions). (3) 'City A is safer' (population: 5,000 vs. 500,000).
5 Real World Comparison Medium Research
Find two real-world things to compare using data (two cities' weather, two sports teams, two products). Compare using at least 3 measures (mean, range, count). Which is 'better' and why?
6 Misleading Comparison Buster Challenge Critical Thinking
Find an advertisement or news article that makes a comparison. Is the comparison fair? What information is missing? What would you need to know to judge it properly? Write a one-paragraph analysis.