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Lesson 1: Things That Go Together

About 30 minutes — Discussion-based lesson

What You Will Learn

This lesson covers:

What correlation means: two things change together

This section covers the key ideas about what correlation means: two things change together. Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

Positive correlation: both go up together

This section covers the key ideas about positive correlation: both go up together. Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

Negative correlation: one goes up, the other goes down

This section covers the key ideas about negative correlation: one goes up, the other goes down. Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

Just because things happen together does not mean one causes the other

This section covers the key ideas about just because things happen together does not mean one causes the other. Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

Check Your Understanding

1. What is a correlation?

Answer: When two things tend to change together in a predictable way. When one goes up and the other goes up too, that is a positive correlation.

2. What is a positive correlation?

Answer: When both values increase together. Example: hours of study and test scores. More study tends to mean higher scores.

3. What is a negative correlation?

Answer: When one value increases while the other decreases. Example: as outdoor temperature goes up, hot chocolate sales go down.

4. Does correlation always mean one thing causes the other?

Answer: No! This is the most important lesson. Just because two things happen together does not mean one caused the other.

Key Takeaways

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