Editors’ Note: Fall 2025
The editors share four articles, three lesson plans, and two resources from the ASA-NCTM Joint Committee on K-12 Education in Statistics and Probability.
Posts tagged ‘middle school’
Sep 25
Sep 2
How MAD Must We Be? A Robust Test for Identifying Meaningful Differences Using the Mean Absolute Deviation
This article introduces a method for identifying statistically meaningful differences between two data sets using the mean absolute deviation.
Dec 9
Making Sense of Data Visualizations: A Toolkit for Supporting Student Discussions
Advanced data visualizations are changing how we share information, making complex data easier to understand and more engaging. The authors created a simple framework with three steps—exploring the context, understanding the visualization, and connecting it to personal experiences—to help students make sense of these visuals.
Dec 8
Data Science in Secondary Grades: Exploring Our Communities Through Pictures
Pictures, sounds, and text are all considered data. How can these types of data be incorporated into the school curriculum to better prepare students for today’s societal needs? The authors introduced a data science investigation that uses pictures as data in their middle and high school classes to find out.
Jul 15
New NCTM Statement on Math, AI Relevant for Educators
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics recently released the position statement "Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics Teaching." The statement highlights potential benefits of AI-driven tools, including responding to students' thinking and interests in ways previous tools could not.
Jul 15
Data Science in Secondary Grades: Exploring Our Communities Through Pictures
Pictures, sounds, and text are all considered data. How can these types of data be incorporated into the school curriculum to better prepare students for today’s societal needs? The authors introduced a data science investigation that uses pictures as data in their middle and high school classes to find out.
Mar 23
If You Only Have One Hour … Teaching Statistical Inference to Youth
Beth Chance, Elsa Medina, and Jacquelyn Silverbush share a series of activities used with students in grades 4–6 to introduce statistical inference. The article is structured based on the amount of time to devote to the topic.
Mar 23
Exploring Whether a Difference Is a Meaningful Difference
This investigation focuses on students conducting a comparative experiment to explore whether there are meaningful differences between the number of times people can write their name with their dominant hand and the number of times people can write their name with their non-dominant hand.
Oct 21
Using Photographs as Data Sources to Tell Stories About Our Favorite Outdoor Spaces
Three lesson plans that use photos as data sources show it is possible to take an idea and develop it to best suit the interests of your students and you.
Nov 12
A Sampling Activity to Anchor Big Statistical Ideas
The Sampling Bag Task showcases important statistical ideas, encourages conjecture and statistical argument, and illustrates the complexity and promise of seemingly simple tasks to generate productive discourse and expand understanding of statistical ideas.
