Mean, Median and Mode Madness!

Third Grade, Fourth Grade Math

by Amanda Clarkson June 4, 2015

This lesson introduces students to the concepts of mean, median, and mode in a hands-on and visual way.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to define and determine the mean, median, and mode for a set of data.

Materials and preparation Key terms

Index cards (one per student) mean

Whiteboard/whiteboard markers median
Calculators (one per student) mode
Class set of the Finding the Average: Mean,
Median, and Mode worksheet
Class set of the Finding the Batting Average
worksheet

Attachments

Finding the Average: Mean, Median, and Mode (PDF)

Find the Batting Average (PDF)

Introduction (5 minutes)

1. Explain to students that we will be learning about three math terms: mean, median, and mode.
2. Give students the following definitions that relate to a set of numbers: the middle number, the average
number, and the number that appears the most. Have students guess which definition belongs to which
term by writing it in a notebook or scrap piece of paper.
3. Explain that students will understand the meaning of each term by the end of the lesson. Do not give
students the meanings yet!

Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling (10 minutes)

Hand out an index card to each student. Have students count the number of buttons they have on their
outfits. Remind them to check their pants and their shoes, too!
Ask students to write the number of buttons they have on the index card large enough so it can be seen
across the room.
Create the outline of a bar graph on the whiteboard. Have each student share how many buttons are on
his/her outfit and record these numbers on the graph. You may have a student volunteer to help you
record or have each student record his/her numbers on the graph, time-permitting.

Guided Practice (15 minutes)

Have students talk to a neighbor about the number of buttons they see the most on the graph. Ask for a
student to provide the answer. Circle the correct number on the board. Explain that this number is called
the mode and that the mode represents the number that appears the greatest number of times. They can
remember it because mode and most sound similar.

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 Tell students to stand up with their index cards. Have the student(s) with the least number of buttons
stand on one side of the classroom. Have the student(s) with the most number of buttons stand on the
opposite side.
Then, have the rest of the students line up in between so that their number cards are in order. Students
should hold their number cards facing out so they can be seen easily. Point out the mode once again.
In a domino-like effect, have students on opposite sides of the line kneel down two at a time until there is
one student left in the middle (or two, if there are an even number of students). Explain that this middle
number, found when all of the numbers are put in order, is the median. They can remember it because a
median is found in the middle of the road.
Have students return to their seats. Explain that to find the mean, students will add up all the buttons
and divide by the number of students in the class. Allow students to use calculators for this as well as
work with a partner to ensure that no mistakes are made. Tell students they can round in the case of a
decimal. Check this answer as a class and discuss why there may be differences in answers (calculator
errors or skipping a number are both possibilities).

Independent working time (20 minutes)

Review the definition of each term and have students correct their definitions from the start of class if
necessary.
Pass out copies of the worksheet titled "Finding the Average: Mean, Median, and Mode". Give students
several minutes to complete the worksheet.
Once students have completed the worksheet, check answers as a class.

Differentiation

Enrichment: Students can complete "Find the Batting Average" worksheet. Challenge these students to
think of other real-life examples when mean, median, and mode would be used.

Support: Have students highlight key words found in the definitions on the worksheet (for mean, "add"
and "divide;" for median, "middle;" for mode, "most."). If additional support is needed, pull a small group
of students and continue guided practice.

Assessment (5 minutes)

Pick one or two of the problems from the "Find the Average: Mean, Median, and Mode" worksheet to
determine students' understanding. Look for instances where students may have mixed up two or more
of the terms, or may have forgotten to put the numbers in numerical order, as these are common
mistakes.

Review and closing (5 minutes)

Pose the following scenario to your students: Your younger sibling or cousin asks you what mean,
median, and mode are. How would you describe these terms in a way that is simple enough for them to
understand?
Have students turn and talk to a partner as if their partner were a younger sibling or cousin to complete
the scenario.
Have some students share their responses with the whole class.

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Finding the Average: Mean, Median, and Mode
In statistics, there are three kinds of averages: mean, median, and mode.

-MEAN: The mean of a group of numbers is the average of the numbers.

-MEDIAN: The median of a group of numbers is the number that is exactly in
the middle when the numbers are arranged numerically. Note: For even
sets of numbers, take the average of the middle two numbers.
-MODE: The mode of a group of numbers is the number that appears most often.

Example Soccer Goals MEAN: Add all the numbers together

(3+5+5+11+12+15+18+19+29=117) then divide
(117) by the number of numbers added together (9),
5 12 19 11 15 32 18 5 3 so 117 ÷ 9 = 13.
MEDIAN: In this example, the number in the middle
Before you do any computing, you should always write the numbers in is 12.
numerical order, from smallest to largest: MODE: In this example, the number that reoccurs
3 5 5 11 12 15 18 19 32 the most is 5.

For each problem below, find the mean, median, and mode.

Basketball Points Touchdowns

11 15 16 16 21 5 9 10 7 9 15 14 12 11 9

1. Mean: __________________ 2. Mean: __________________

Median: ________________ Median: ________________
Mode: __________________ Mode: __________________

Golf Scores Wrestling Wins

61 68 75 72 68 79 5 7 13 24 16 22 13 7 6

3. Mean: __________________ 4. Mean: __________________

Median: ________________ Median: ________________
Mode: __________________ Mode: __________________

Boxing Wins Volleyball Wins

24 16 23 16 15 35 19 7 14 11 12 11 20 8 5 10

5. Mean: __________________ 6. Mean: __________________

Median: ________________ Median: ________________
Mode: __________________ Mode: __________________

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 Directions: Add up the batting totals for the baseball team to find
each player’s batting average.

Example: Todd went 2-for-4 at Saturday’s game. That means he

came up to bat four times and got two hits. He went 1-for-3 on
Sunday. Separate his total hits from his total at-bats, then add.
Hits (2 + 1) 3
At-Bats (4 + 3) 7
To find Todd’s average, divide his total times at bat by his
total number of hits:
3÷7 0.4285
Round to three decimal places, and you’ve got his average:

0.429 (In baseball, you say “four twenty-nine.”)

Now, use the example to find the batting average for some
of Todd’s teammates. Remember to show your work!
1. On Saturday, Johnny came up five times and got one hit. On Sunday,
he came up four times and got two hits.

2. Darnell was 2-for-5 on Saturday and 3-for-4 on Sunday.

3. Brandon got three base hits this weekend. In each game, he came to
bat four times.

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2010-2011 by Education.com More worksheets at www.education.com/worksheets

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