Math lesson plan · 10th grade (Year 11 in England) · 45 minutes
Histograms and grouped data
Statistics and probability
CCSS HSS.ID.A.1England: GCSE Higher Statistics
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Histograms and grouped data.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Averages from frequency tables
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Squared paper for charts, Class survey data, Sticky notes for a live chart, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Averages from frequency tables). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- The table shows the number of pets per household: 0 pets: 3, 1 pets: 1, 2 pets: 6, 3 pets: 1, 4 pets: 6. Find the mean number of pets. Round to 2 decimal places. → 2.35Prompt: Multiply each value by its frequency and add.
- Shoe-shop sales by size: size 4: 3, size 5: 8, size 6: 9, size 7: 2, size 8: 8. What is the modal shoe size? → 6Prompt: The mode has the highest frequency.
- The table shows the number of pets per household: 0 pets: 1, 1 pets: 7, 2 pets: 7, 3 pets: 1, 4 pets: 9. Find the mean number of pets. Round to 2 decimal places. → 2.4Prompt: Multiply each value by its frequency and add.
Hook · 5 min
- Take a quick class survey (favorite fruit, travel to school) and ask what the results tell us.
- Share the objective: Histograms and grouped data. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: In a histogram, a bar covers a class of width 5 and has frequency density 1.5. What is the frequency?
- Step 1: 1.5 × 5 = 7.5
- Answer: 7.5
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- In a histogram, a bar covers a class of width 5 and has frequency density 4. What is the frequency? → 20Prompt: Frequency density = frequency ÷ class width.
- Estimate the mean from this grouped table: 0–10: 2, 10–20: 4, 20–30: 8, 30–40: 6. Round to 1 decimal place. → 24Prompt: Use the midpoint of each class.
You do: independent practice · 10 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Estimate the mean from this grouped table: 0–10: 3, 10–20: 5, 20–30: 5, 30–40: 1. Round to 1 decimal place. → 17.9Prompt: Use the midpoint of each class.
- In a histogram, a bar covers a class of width 20 and has frequency density 6. What is the frequency? → 120Prompt: Frequency density = frequency ÷ class width.
Watch out for
- Forgetting to put data in order before finding the median.
- Reading a bar's height wrongly when the scale goes up in 2s or 5s.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Averages from frequency tables.
- Use concrete materials: squared paper for charts.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-10.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder