Support for long-term classroom planning and professional development. Information covering important topics for today's educators and parents. The meteorologist announces a 60 percent chance of showers. On a daily basis, probability is used frequently to make decisions about the simplest parts of our lives. Students informally use data analysis every day, from determining if a game is being played fairly to collecting information and analyzing it to make better choices about purchasing a game or toy.
Students ask their friends what are their favorite games, music stars, ice cream flavors, and more.
Building on these simple curiosities, students can undertake more complicated investigations that involve taking surveys, recording data, and analyzing and interpreting their findings. In all areas of the curriculum, students analyze situations, use critical thinking skills, and interpret data. Data analysis and mathematical probability are easily woven into science and social studies investigations. Studying population growth and trends, reading temperature and precipitation graphs in the daily newspaper, and conducting an inquiry to discover the favorite books read at each grade level are activities that engage students in mathematical data analysis and probability. As students take part in these real-world experiences and investigations, they have opportunities to become better critical thinkers and decision makers.