FREE Box and Whisker Plot Activity

Description

Students will be able to understand how to create and draw box and whisker plot diagrams through this student-centered activity with a bit of teacher-direction.

To start as a Do Now, students will write their height* (in inches or to your choosing –make sure to write on the board or announce to the class what measure you would like their height to be recorded in) on the board. Students will use this worksheet to record the data that they have now collected. Students can work together to put them in order form least to greatest or on their own. *You can use height, how far a student can jump all starting at the same line, or even how far to throw a cotton ball -the examples are endless.

You can use this worksheet to introduce box and whisker plots by color-coding the worksheet. The circles next to the words can be used to help color code, or you can put abbreviations in the circle (i.e. LE for lower extreme).

Key values: lower extreme [minimum], first quartile [lower quartile/lower median], median, third quartile [upper quartile/upper median], upper extreme [maximum]

On the board, you can have the students or yourself draw both box and whisker plots from the groups, which can then be used to compare information. You will guide the students into a discussion about the similarities and the differences.

This activity is adapted for other data to be used if you would like to use something other than heights.

There is also a landscape version of this activity available (click here) that can be used to help demonstrate and teach comparisons of box-and-whisker plots! The landscape version also includes a color-coded answer key! Make sure to check it out.