Dot Plots, Histograms & Box Plots (Grade 6)


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Common Core for Grade 6
More Lessons for Grade 6




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Videos, examples, solutions, and lessons to help Grade 6 students learn how to display numerical data in plots on a number line, including dot plots, histograms, and box plots.

Common Core: 6.SP.4

Suggested Learning Targets

  • I can identify the components of dot plots, histograms, and box plots.
  • I can find the median, quartile and interquartile range of a set of data.
  • I can analyze a set of data to determine its variance.
  • I can create a dot plot to display a set of numerical data.
  • I can create a histogram to display a set of numerical data.
  • I can create a box plot to display a set of numerical data.

Dot Plots

How to make a dot plot?
This video describes and explains the method for making dot plots, and the ways in which they can be useful.

  1. Dot plots provide a visual way of displaying all data points on the number line. It is similar to a line plot.
  2. Each dot represent one data point, so you can count out the middle data point to find the median.
  3. The mode for the data set is the highest column.

Describing a Dotplot
Dot Plot and Skew.
Example:
I recorded the number of goals scored by my daughter’s soccer team last year. The number of goals is recorded on the dotplot below.
The shape of the goals from the soccer game is approximately skewed right. In one game there were 9 goals scored, this ia a possible outlier. The median goals scored was 2 goals. The middle 50% of goals was between 1 and 3 goals.

Dot Plot vs. Line Plot
There are two types of Dot Plots.
One type of Dot Plot is similar to Line Plot. Another type of Dot Plot has two axis.




Histograms

Introduction to Histograms
This video provides an introduction to histograms and explains how to create a histogram from given data.

Represent Data on a Histogram
This video shows how to represent numerical data on a histogram, according to Common Core Standards for Mathematics 6.SP.4. This way of representing the data gives us a way of organizing the data by intervals.
Example:
Ms. McGregor is a teacher in rural Florida. She surveyed her students to find out how far from school her students lived. The following data is the distance between the school and her students' homes, in miles:
8, 10, 7, 7, 8, 10, 11, 10, 5
Represent the data in a histogram. Be sure to label your axes and include a title.

Box Plots

Represent Data on a Box Plot (Box-and-Whisker Plot) / 5 Number Summary
This video shows how to represent numerical data on a box plot, according to 6.SP.4. This way of organizing data gives us a 5 number summary of the data set that includes the minimum, first quartile, median, third quartile, maximum.
Example:
Ms. McGregor is a teacher in rural Florida. She surveyed her students to find out how far from school her students lived. The following data is the distance between the school and her students' homes, in miles:
8, 10, 7, 7, 8, 10, 11, 10, 5
Represent the data in a box plot (box-and-whisker plot). Be sure to label your axes and include a title.

Box & Whisker Plots
This video looks at how to create box and whisker plots and find the interquartile range. It includes two examples.
Example:
Draw a box and whisker plot for each of the following set of data
a) {3,7,7,3,10,1,6,6}
b) {3,10,2,8,7,5,2,5}

Box Plots
Learn that Box and Whisker Plots are graphs that show the distribution of data along a number line. See how to construct box plots by ordering a data set to find the median of the set of data, median of the upper and lower quartiles, and upper and lower extremes. Draw a Box and Whisker plot and learn how to use box plots to solve a real world problem. See how to construct box plots if there are no middle values.



Try the free Mathway calculator and problem solver below to practice various math topics. Try the given examples, or type in your own problem and check your answer with the step-by-step explanations.
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