“This was the best money I have ever spent on a teaching tool.” ~ a teacher in Wisconsin
Students will build pours that all average a fair share yet leave some kids with nothing, discovering that an average can hide how unfair a split really is.
Students check Mr. Boid’s fairness by totaling the juice and dividing by six.
Students calculate how to distribute banana juice so that the average remains two and a half cups despite unequal amounts.
Students pour six cups unevenly among their peers, ensuring the average remains two and a half cups for each child.
Students will investigate why Mr. Boid’s line plot makes a tie look like a blowout.
Students add the total yards thrown by each competitor to determine the actual winner of the boulder throwing competition.
Students analyze the misleading graph and work on creating a more accurate line plot to represent their results.
Students create a misleading line plot using different sizes for their marks and explain why their graph is misleading.
Students will investigate why these bar graphs are so misleading.
Students note the number of votes each teacher received and calculate the difference to understand the misleading graph.
Students draw bar graphs starting at zero to represent votes honestly and avoid being misled by misleading scales.
Students choose a comparison, like a basketball game score, to create a misleading bar graph using a carefully selected scale.
Students will create purposefully misleading graphs to better learn how proper graphs should be created.
Technique 1: Showing Just a Moment
Technique 2: Bar Graphs with Bad Scales
Technique 3: Leaving Out Information
Technique 4: Asking the Wrong Group
Technique 5: Line Graphs with Bad Scales
Bonus: Getting Too Fancy
Now, your students will produce their own bad graphs.