Activity Description View histograms for built-in or user-specified data. Experiment with how the size of the class intervals influences the appearance of the histogram. Parameters: Data sets, class sizes.

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Histogram

Place in mathematics curriculum:

• illustrate the idea of averages, both through numerical and geometrical methods
• develop estimating skills
• introduce the idea of a histogram
• practice students skills at reading histograms
• give students insight into drawing histograms that illustrate a data set well
• develop recognition and understanding of data representations

This activity allows the user to view and make their own histograms. A histogram is defined as a bar graph that shows frequency data. This activity would work well in same ability groups of two to four for about twenty minutes if you use the exploration questions and five to ten minutes otherwise.

Preparations for this activity:

• answer the question "How do I draw a histogram by hand?"
• discuss mean, class interval, and misleading graphs