Sample Means - Exploring Sampling Variability
Activity Description
Students will explore sampling variability in the sample means of different random samples of a population, using data on Internet access from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Suggested Grade Level
7
Approximate Time Required
45-60 minutes
Learning Objectives
- Students will be able to help create dot plots to represent a collection of sample means.
- Students will be able to select a random sample from a population.
- Students will be able to understand that sample means for different random samples of the same population will differ due to random selection.
- Students will be able to understand that there is less sampling variability in the sample mean when the sample size is large than when the sample size is small.
Materials Required
- The student version of this activity, 8 pages
- A printed version of the data cards in the teacher version of the activity
- Calculators
- Sticky notes
Teacher Notes
Blooms Taxonomy
Applying
Students will apply their knowledge of means and sampling to help create dot plots of sample means. Students will also analyze the dot plots to determine the center and spread of the data.
Subject
Middle School Math
Topics
- Random sampling
- Sample mean
- Sampling variability
Skills Taught
- Calculating sample means
- Constructing and comparing dot plots
Page Last Revised - October 8, 2021