Teacher: Taryn Geroche

Date: 04/13

School: Conrad Ball Middle School

Grade Level: 6

Title: Mean Absolute Deviation

Content Area: Math

Lesson #:_2_ of _11_

Content Standard(s) addressed by this lesson:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.SP.B.5.C
Giving quantitative measures of center (median and/or mean) and variability (interquartile range and/or
mean absolute deviation), as well as describing any overall pattern and any striking deviations from the
overall pattern with reference to the context in which the data were gathered.
Objective:
Interpret data using measures of spread and measures of center.
Learning Target:
I can: interpret data using mean absolute deviation as a measure of spread.
This means: I can find the mean absolute deviation for a set of data.
List of Assessments:
Formative: Evaluation of students worksheets from the day.
Summative: Pre-Test and Post-Test

Planned Lesson Activities

Name and Purpose of
Lesson

Approx. Time and

Materials

Mean Absolute Deviation

The purpose of this lesson is to give students another method for
measuring variability in a data set. The more ways we have to measure
the spread and center, the more we will know about our data.
Approximate Time: 1 day = 70 min
Materials: Do Now sheets and flipchart, Mean Absolute Deviation
worksheets and flipchart

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Do Now

In preparation for learning about mean absolute deviation today, this do

now will help students remember all of the measures of center and
variability that we know so far. We will use these in the lesson to prove
why we need mean absolute deviation, too.

Procedures

Do Now: 15 min
Students know to start the Do Now as soon as class starts. Teacher lets
students work for about 10 minutes, then goes over the answers with the
Mean Absolute Deviation Lesson:
1) Students analyze two sets of data which come out to have very
same results (10 min)
2) I Do: Teacher introduces Mean Absolute Deviation as a solution
for scenarios like this. Students share out what the term mean
absolute deviation reminds them of, or what they think it could
be. Then the teacher shares the definition. (10 min)
3) We Do: Together, teacher and class walk through the steps of
finding mean absolute deviation for the first data set. When
students feel confident that they understand whats going on,
they can try with the second data set. (15 min)
4) You Do: Students complete the rest of the packet themselves,
using their prior knowledge of histograms and their newly
acquired knowledge about mean absolute deviation. Teacher
circulates the room, specifically checking in on lower level
students. (15 min)
Closure: 5 min

Closure

To close, we will go over the answers to the last mean absolute deviation
problems from the worksheet. Students will have a chance to share their
ideas with the class.
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Differentiation

I highly expect that this is a lesson which will require extra help for some
students. They can look for help from those around them or raise their
hands to get help from the teacher. If advanced students finish early then
they can do a math puzzle.

Management

Since this lesson is going back and forth between direct instruction and
work time it will be extra important to let the students know how I will
be getting their attention, whether that be with the counting down method
or with any other method. The short intervals of time are great because
they split the class up into sections, but it just means you have to have
really smooth transitions.

Reflection
I think this lesson went really well. Most students were engaged for the whole lesson, which is
an accomplishment. The alternating between short sections of direct instruction and short
sections of work time went well today, too. Mean Absolute Deviation is a valuable measure of
variability for analyzing data, which mirrors its standard directly. In the future, I would provide
more examples, some more difficult ones, because there were several students who finished early
and could have been doing more practice.

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