Mathematics

Intermediate

50 mins

Teacher/Student led

Learning Goals

Learning Outcomes

Lesson Files

+80 XP

What you need:
IWB/Projector/Large Screen

The Mode: the Most Common Value

Learn to find the mode — the value that appears most often in a data set — by spotting the tallest bar on a chart.

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1 Getting Started
2 Watch and Notice
3 Try It Together
4 Write the Mode in Your Copy
5 Class Challenge
6 What Did We Notice?
7 What's Next
Pupil practice

1 - Getting Started ~4 mins

Here is a bar chart of the class's favourite ice-cream flavours. Which flavour was chosen by the most children? Which bar climbs the highest?

Key point

The answer chosen most often is called the mode.

👇 Mark your steps as done as you complete them.

+5 XP

2 - Watch and Notice ~9 mins

Three charts on the board. On each one, look for the tallest bar and say which category it belongs to. On the last chart, watch for two bars that climb to exactly the same height.

👇 Mark your steps as done as you complete them.

+10 XP

3 - Try It Together ~11 mins

What you'll do

Today we build and read three charts together. First we do favourite pets: cat, dog, fish and rabbit. Then we do favourite colours: red, blue, green and yellow. Last we build a chart where two answers tie. For each one, we set the bars from the class data, find the tallest bar, and name the mode out loud.

Find the mode together

+15 XP

4 - Write the Mode in Your Copy ~2 mins

COPYBOOK MOMENT

Look at the favourite break-time game chart on the board. In your maths copy, write the category that is the mode. Then write one sentence: "The mode is ___ because it was chosen most often."

+10 XP

5 - Class Challenge ~8 mins

Now we find the mode in data that gets trickier each time. First a bar chart with one clearly tallest bar. Then a set of favourite colours we read and name. Then a short set of shoe sizes we set and read. Last, a set where two answers tie for the top — so there are two modes.

Find the mode

+15 XP

Pupil practice

Module 9 · Data and Chance Data & Chance

Lesson 110 · The Mode: the Most Common Value

Download Activity Book page (PDF)

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