Calculating the mode

I can calculate the mode from data presented in a frequency table and different graphs.

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Year 8

Calculating the mode

I can calculate the mode from data presented in a frequency table and different graphs.

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Share activities with pupils

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Lesson details

Key learning points

The mode can be calculated from an ungrouped frequency table.
The mode can be calculated from a bar chart.
The mode can be calculated from a line graph.

Common misconception

Pupils may mistakenly choose the bars which have the same heights to be the mode.

By reminding the pupils of the definition of the mode and asking the question in the context of the data, this should support students.

Keywords

Frequency - The frequency is the number of times an event occurs; or the number of individuals (people, animals etc.) with some specific property.
Mode - The mode is the most frequent value. It is a measure of central tendency representing the average of the values.

To highlight that the mode is more meaningful for larger data sets, ask a small sample of students to write down a number between 1 and 20. Then increase the sample size by a little and keep repeating this.

Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).