A person's ability to perform numerical calculations does not guarantee the acquisition of number sense. Number sense is gained through opportunities to explore number relationships and opportunities to make decisions regarding strategies to follow in solving problems. The study of patterns, relations, and functions help learners to recognize and generalize patterns and to identify and clarify functional relationships. A pattern is an arrangement of objects or symbols in which relationships can be established. A relationship is a correspondence between two values and a function is a relation in which the first value has exactly one second value.
Statistics is a mathematical tool used to analyze data.
Collected data are processed and the interpretations of the data become translated into usable knowledge as decisions are based upon the interpretations. Probability is the mathematics of chance and the study of random events. Statistics is closely linked to probability as statistical data are often used to predict the likelihood of outcomes or future events. Understanding statistics and probability is essential in the modern world as consumers of print and electronic media must be able to judge the meaningfulness and appropriateness of the information presented and interpreted in the media. Students will use the language of algebra to explore, describe, represent, and analyze number expressions and relations that represent variable quantities.