Choose the Better Measure, Mean or Median

Start with the mean, median, mode and range page. Use the dot plot page next, then the two outlier pages to discuss which measure fits the data.

Choose the mean or median for 6 data sets like used bike prices with an outlier of $420. The median is the better measure of center when a data set has an outlier, because one extreme value pulls the mean toward it. With no outliers, the mean works well. The directions on the page read: Decide whether the mean or the median better describes a typical value in each data set. Write mean or median and a short reason. An answer key is included.

Yes, both. We made it for 6th Grade data & graphing, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with mean, median and mode. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.

Put the values in order and average the two middle values. For 13, 14, 14, 16, 17, 19, the middle values are 14 and 16, so the median is 15.

An outlier pulls the mean toward it but barely moves the median. For the ages 10, 12, 15, 58, 14, 10, 14, the mean is 19 with the outlier and 12.5 without it, while the median only moves from 14 to 13.

Multiply each value by its number of dots, add the products and divide by the total number of dots. For 10 dots showing hours of sleep, the products add to 79, so the mean is 7.9 hours.

Yes. All 5 mean, median and mode worksheets have an answer key.