Calculate and interpret the mean as an average - Reasoning

In a practical exercise involving statistics, a group of five children—Malachi, Rosie, Zach, Esin, and Tia—collect money for charity with the intention of sharing the total sum equally among six children. Each child is expected to receive £14. To determine the total amount collected, the students multiply the number of children by the amount each should receive, resulting in a total of £84 needed. The contributions from Malachi (£16), Rosie (£21), Esin (£12), and Tia (£13) are known, summing up to £62 when combined. To calculate how much Zach collected, students subtract the total contributions of the other four children from the overall total required, which leaves Zach with a contribution of £22.

The exercise illustrates the application of mean as an average in a real-world context. By understanding that the mean amount each child needs to collect is £14, students can use subtraction to find the missing amount after accounting for the known contributions. This problem-solving task not only reinforces the concept of the mean but also develops reasoning skills as students work through the steps to find the amount collected by Zach. The exercise is visually supported by a bar chart that represents the amounts collected by each child, emphasising the practical use of statistics in everyday situations.