Statistics - The Mean (Activity) - Presentation

Today's lesson introduces the concept of the 'mean', a term used to describe the average of a set of numbers. Students are encouraged to discuss and understand what 'average' means before delving into practical activities. The lesson uses visual aids, such as blocks, to help students visualise and comprehend how to calculate the mean. For example, by arranging blocks to represent numbers and then redistributing them to achieve an even height across the set, students can see how the mean represents a central value. This hands-on approach not only makes the concept of finding the mean tangible but also engages students in a more interactive learning experience.

Following the initial explanation, students are presented with various sets of numbers and tasked with finding the mean by making the heights of the blocks uniform. By moving blocks from higher numbers to lower ones, students work towards balancing the sets and discovering the average. This activity not only reinforces the calculation of the mean but also encourages critical thinking as students explore different combinations that result in the same mean. Later, the lesson challenges students further by providing the mean and asking them to determine possible sets of numbers that would have that mean, thus deepening their understanding of the concept and its application in various scenarios.