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Units 7–9
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IM 6–8 Math was originally developed by Open Up Resources and authored by Illustrative Mathematics®, and is
copyright 2017-2019 by Open Up Resources. It is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
License (CC BY 4.0), creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. OUR's 6–8 Math Curriculum is available at
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Adaptations and updates to IM 6–8 Math are copyright 2019 by Illustrative Mathematics,
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Adaptations to add additional English language learner supports are copyright 2019 by Open Up Resources,
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4.0), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

The second set of English assessments (marked as set "B") are copyright 2019 by Open Up Resources,
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4.0),https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Spanish translation of the "B" assessments are copyright 2020 by Illustrative Mathematics,
www.illustrativemathematics.org, and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
License (CC BY 4.0), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

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ISBN 978-1-64885-128-5

MS3.1415

20211205
Unit 7: Rational Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Negative Numbers and Absolute Value

Lesson 1: Positive and Negative Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Lesson 2: Points on the Number Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Lesson 3: Comparing Positive and Negative Numbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Lesson 4: Ordering Rational Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Lesson 5: Using Negative Numbers to Make Sense of Contexts. . . . . . 31

Lesson 6: Absolute Value of Numbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Lesson 7: Comparing Numbers and Distance from Zero . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Inequalities

Lesson 8: Writing and Graphing Inequalities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Lesson 9: Solutions of Inequalities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Lesson 10: Interpreting Inequalities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

The Coordinate Plane

Lesson 11: Points on the Coordinate Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Lesson 12: Constructing the Coordinate Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Lesson 13: Interpreting Points on a Coordinate Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Lesson 14: Distances on a Coordinate Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Lesson 15: Shapes on the Coordinate Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Common Factors and Common Multiples

Lesson 16: Common Factors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Lesson 17: Common Multiples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Lesson 18: Using Common Multiples and Common Factors . . . . . . . . 118

Let's Put it to Work

Lesson 19: Drawing on the Coordinate Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Unit 8: Data Sets and Distributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Data, Variability, and Statistical Questions

Lesson 1: Got Data? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Lesson 2: Statistical Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Dot Plots and Histograms

Lesson 3: Representing Data Graphically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Lesson 4: Dot Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

Lesson 5: Using Dot Plots to Answer Statistical Questions . . . . . . . . . 170

Lesson 6: Interpreting Histograms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

Lesson 7: Using Histograms to Answer Statistical Questions . . . . . . . 189

Lesson 8: Describing Distributions on Histograms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

Measures of Center and Variability

Lesson 9: Mean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Lesson 10: Finding and Interpreting the Mean as the Balance Point . 209

Lesson 11: Variability and MAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216

Lesson 12: Using Mean and MAD to Make Comparisons. . . . . . . . . . . 225

Median and IQR

Lesson 13: Median . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

Lesson 14: Comparing Mean and Median . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238

Lesson 15: Quartiles and Interquartile Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

Lesson 16: Box Plots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

Lesson 17: Using Box Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259

Let's Put it to Work

Lesson 18: Using Data to Solve Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266

Unit 9: Putting it All Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

Making Connections

Lesson 1: Fermi Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278

Lesson 2: If Our Class Were the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280

Lesson 3: Rectangle Madness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282

Voting

Lesson 4: How Do We Choose?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293

Lesson 5: More than Two Choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296

Lesson 6: Picking Representatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317

Attributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
GRADE 6

7
Unit

STUDENT WORKBOOK
Book 3
 Lesson 1: Positive and Negative Numbers
Let’s explore how we represent temperatures and elevations.

1.1: Notice and Wonder: Memphis and Bangor

What do you notice? What do you wonder?

6
 1.2: Above and Below Zero
1. Here are three situations involving changes in temperature and three number lines.
Represent each change on a number line. Then, answer the question.

a. At noon, the temperature was 5 degrees Celsius. By late afternoon, it has risen 6
degrees Celsius. What was the temperature late in the afternoon?

b. The temperature was 8 degrees Celsius at midnight. By dawn, it has dropped 12

degrees Celsius. What was the temperature at dawn?

c. Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius, but the freezing temperature can be

lowered by adding salt to the water. A student discovered that adding half a cup
of salt to a gallon of water lowers its freezing temperature by 7 degrees Celsius.
What is the freezing temperature of the gallon of salt water?

2. Discuss with a partner:

a. How did each of you name the resulting temperature in each situation?

b. What does it mean when the temperature is above 0? Below 0?

c. Do numbers less than 0 make sense in other contexts? Give some specific
examples to show how they do or do not make sense.

Unit 7 Lesson 1 7
 1.3: High Places, Low Places
1. Here is a table that shows elevations of various cities.

city elevation (feet)

Harrisburg, PA 320

Bethell, IN 1,211

Denver, CO 5,280

Coachella, CA -22

Death Valley, CA -282

New York City, NY 33

Miami, FL 0

a. On the list of cities, which city has the second highest elevation?

b. How would you describe the elevation of Coachella, CA in relation to sea level?

c. How would you describe the elevation of Death Valley, CA in relation to sea
level?

d. If you are standing on a beach right next to the ocean, what is your elevation?

e. How would you describe the elevation of Miami, FL?

f. A city has a higher elevation than Coachella, CA. Select all numbers that could
represent the city’s elevation. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

▪ -11 feet
▪ -35 feet
▪ 4 feet
▪ -8 feet
▪ 0 feet

8
 2. Here are two tables that show the elevations of highest points on land and lowest
points in the ocean. Distances are measured from sea level.

mountain continent elevation (meters)

Everest Asia 8,848

Kilimanjaro Africa 5,895

Denali North America 6,168

Pikchu Pikchu South America 5,664

trench ocean elevation (meters)

Mariana Trench Pacific -11,033

Puerto Rico Trench Atlantic -8,600

Tonga Trench Pacific -10,882

Sunda Trench Indian -7,725

a. Which point in the ocean is the lowest in the world? What is its elevation?

b. Which mountain is the highest in the world? What is its elevation?

c. If you plot the elevations of the mountains and trenches on a vertical number
line, what would 0 represent? What would points above 0 represent? What
about points below 0?

d. Which is farther from sea level: the deepest point in the ocean, or the top of the
highest mountain in the world? Explain.

Unit 7 Lesson 1 9
 Are you ready for more?
A spider spins a web in the following way:

• It starts at sea level.

• It moves up one inch in the first minute.
• It moves down two inches in the second minute.
• It moves up three inches in the third minute.
• It moves down four inches in the fourth minute.
Assuming that the pattern continues, what will the spider’s elevation be after an hour has
passed?

Lesson 1 Summary
Positive numbers are numbers that are greater than 0. Negative
numbers are numbers that are less than zero. The meaning of a
negative number in a context depends on the meaning of zero in
that context.

For example, if we measure temperatures in degrees Celsius, then 0

degrees Celsius corresponds to the temperature at which water
freezes.

In this context, positive temperatures are warmer than the freezing

point and negative temperatures are colder than the freezing point.
A temperature of -6 degrees Celsius means that it is 6 degrees away
from 0 and it is less than 0. This thermometer shows a temperature
of -6 degrees Celsius.

If the temperature rises a few degrees and gets very close to 0

degrees without reaching it, the temperature is still a negative
number.

10
 Another example is elevation, which is a distance above or
below sea level. An elevation of 0 refers to the sea level.
Positive elevations are higher than sea level, and negative
elevations are lower than sea level.

Glossary
• negative number
• positive number

Unit 7 Lesson 1 11
 Lesson 1 Practice Problems
1. a. Is a temperature of -11 degrees warmer or colder than a temperature of
-15 degrees?

b. Is an elevation of -10 feet closer or farther from the surface of the ocean than
an elevation of -8 feet?

c. It was 8 degrees at nightfall. The temperature dropped 10 degrees by midnight.

What was the temperature at midnight?

d. A diver is 25 feet below sea level. After he swims up 15 feet toward the surface,
what is his elevation?

2. a. A whale is at the surface of the ocean to breathe.

What is the whale’s elevation?

b. The whale swims down 300 feet to feed. What is

the whale’s elevation now?

c. The whale swims down 150 more feet more. What

is the whale’s elevation now?

d. Plot each of the three elevations as a point on a

vertical number line. Label each point with its
numeric value.

3. Explain how to calculate a number that is equal to .

(From Unit 6, Lesson 5.)

12
 4. Write an equation to represent each situation and then solve the equation.

a. Andre drinks 15 ounces of water, which is of a bottle. How much does the
bottle hold? Use for the number of ounces of water the bottle holds.

b. A bottle holds 15 ounces of water. Jada drank 8.5 ounces of water. How many
ounces of water are left in the bottle? Use for the number of ounces of water
left in the bottle.

c. A bottle holds ounces of water. A second bottle holds 16 ounces, which is

times as much water. How much does the first bottle hold?

(From Unit 6, Lesson 4.)

5. A rectangle has an area of 24 square units and a side length of units. Find the
other side length of the rectangle. Show your reasoning.

(From Unit 4, Lesson 13.)

Unit 7 Lesson 1 Practice Problems 13

 Lesson 2: Points on the Number Line
Let’s plot positive and negative numbers on the number line.

2.1: A Point on the Number Line

Which of the following numbers could be ?

2.5 2.49

2.2: What’s the Temperature?

1. Here are five thermometers. The first four thermometers show temperatures in
Celsius. Write the temperatures in the blanks.

The last thermometer is missing some numbers. Write them in the boxes.

14
 2. Elena says that the thermometer shown here reads
because the line of the liquid is above . Jada
says that it is . Do you agree with either one of
them? Explain your reasoning.

3. One morning, the temperature in Phoenix, Arizona, was and the temperature in
Portland, Maine, was cooler. What was the temperature in Portland?

2.3: Folded Number Lines

Your teacher will give you a sheet of tracing paper on which to draw a number line.

1. Follow the steps to make your own number line.

◦ Use a straightedge or a ruler to draw a horizontal line. Mark the middle point of
the line and label it 0.

◦ To the right of 0, draw tick marks that are 1 centimeter apart. Label the tick
marks 1, 2, 3. . . 10. This represents the positive side of your number line.

◦ Fold your paper so that a vertical crease goes through 0 and the two sides of the
number line match up perfectly.

◦ Use the fold to help you trace the tick marks that you already drew onto the
opposite side of the number line. Unfold and label the tick marks -1, -2, -3. . .
-10. This represents the negative side of your number line.

Unit 7 Lesson 2 15
 2. Use your number line to answer these questions:

a. Which number is the same distance away from zero as is the number 4?

b. Which number is the same distance away from zero as is the number -7?

c. Two numbers that are the same distance from zero on the number line are
called opposites. Find another pair of opposites on the number line.

d. Determine how far away the number 5 is from 0. Then, choose a positive
number and a negative number that is each farther away from zero than is the
number 5.

e. Determine how far away the number -2 is from 0. Then, choose a positive
number and a negative number that is each farther away from zero than is the
number -2.

Pause here so your teacher can review your work.

3. Here is a number line with some points labeled with letters. Determine the location
of points , , and .

If you get stuck, trace the number line and points onto a sheet of tracing paper, fold it
so that a vertical crease goes through 0, and use the folded number line to help you
find the unknown values.

Are you ready for more?

At noon, the temperatures in Portland, Maine, and Phoenix, Arizona, had opposite
values. The temperature in Portland was lower than in Phoenix. What was the
temperature in each city? Explain your reasoning.

16
 Lesson 2 Summary
Here is a number line labeled with positive and negative numbers. The number 4 is
positive, so its location is 4 units to the right of 0 on the number line. The number -1.1 is
negative, so its location is 1.1 units to the left of 0 on the number line.

We say that the opposite of 8.3 is -8.3, and that the opposite of is . Any pair of numbers
that are equally far from 0 are called opposites.

Points and are opposites because they are both 2.5 units away from 0, even though
is to the left of 0 and is to the right of 0.

A positive number has a negative number for its opposite. A negative number has a
positive number for its opposite. The opposite of 0 is itself.

You have worked with positive numbers for many years. All of the positive numbers you
have seen—whole and non-whole numbers—can be thought of as fractions and can
be located on a the number line.

To locate a non-whole number on a number line, we can divide the distance between two
whole numbers into fractional parts and then count the number of parts. For example, 2.7
can be written as . The segment between 2 and 3 can be partitioned into 10 equal
parts or 10 tenths. From 2, we can count 7 of the tenths to locate 2.7 on the number line.

All of the fractions and their opposites are what we call rational numbers. For example, 4,
-1.1, 8.3, -8.3, , and are all rational numbers.

Glossary
• opposite
• rational number

Unit 7 Lesson 2 17
 Lesson 2 Practice Problems
1. For each number, name its opposite.

a. -5 a. 0.875

b. 28 b. 0

c. -10.4 c. -8,003

2. Plot the numbers -1.5, , , and on the number line. Label each point with its
numeric value.

3. Plot these points on a number line.

◦ -1.5 ◦ the opposite of 0.5

◦ the opposite of -2 ◦ -2

4. a. Represent each of these temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit with a positive or

negative number.

▪ 5 degrees above zero

▪ 3 degrees below zero
▪ 6 degrees above zero
▪ degrees below zero

b. Order the temperatures above from the coldest to the warmest.

(From Unit 7, Lesson 1.)

18
 5. Solve each equation.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

(From Unit 6, Lesson 5.)

6. Write the solution to each equation as a fraction and as a decimal.

a.

b.

c.

(From Unit 6, Lesson 5.)

7. There are 15.24 centimeters in 6 inches.

a. How many centimeters are in 1 foot?

b. How many centimeters are in 1 yard?

(From Unit 3, Lesson 4.)

Unit 7 Lesson 2 Practice Problems 19

 Lesson 3: Comparing Positive and Negative
Numbers
Let’s compare numbers on the number line.

3.1: Which One Doesn’t Belong: Inequalities

Which inequality doesn’t belong?

•
•
•
•

3.2: Comparing Temperatures

Here are the low temperatures, in degrees Celsius, for a week in Anchorage, Alaska.

day Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat Sun

temperature 5 -1 -5.5 -2 3 4 0

1. Plot the temperatures on a number line. Which day of the week had the lowest low
temperature?

20
 2. The lowest temperature ever recorded in the United States was -62 degrees Celsius,
in Prospect Creek Camp, Alaska. The average temperature on Mars is about -55
degrees Celsius.

a. Which is warmer, the coldest temperature recorded in the USA, or the average
temperature on Mars? Explain how you know.

b. Write an inequality to show your answer.

3. On a winter day the low temperature in Anchorage, Alaska, was -21 degrees Celsius
and the low temperature in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was -14 degrees Celsius.

Jada said, “I know that 14 is less than 21, so -14 is also less than -21. This means that
it was colder in Minneapolis than in Anchorage.”

Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.

Are you ready for more?

Another temperature scale frequently used in science is the Kelvin scale. In this scale, 0 is
the lowest possible temperature of anything in the universe, and it is -273.15 degrees in
the Celsius scale. Each is the same as , so is the same as .

1. Water boils at . What is this temperature in ?

2. Ammonia boils at . What is the boiling point of ammonia in ?

3. Explain why only positive numbers (and 0) are needed to record temperature in .

Unit 7 Lesson 3 21
 3.3: Rational Numbers on a Number Line
1. Plot the numbers -2, 4, -7, and 10 on the number line. Label each point with its
numeric value.

2. Decide whether each inequality statement is true or false. Be prepared to explain

your reasoning.

a.

b.

c.

d.

3. Andre says that is less than because, of the two numbers, is closer to 0. Do
you agree? Explain your reasoning.

4. Answer each question. Be prepared to explain how you know.

a. Which number is greater: or ?

b. Which is farther from 0: or ?

c. Which number is greater: or ?

d. Which is farther from 0: or ?

22
 e. Is the number that is farther from 0 always the greater number? Explain your
reasoning.

Lesson 3 Summary
We use the words greater than and less than to compare numbers on the number line. For
example, the numbers -2.7, 0.8, and -1.3, are shown on the number line.

Because -2.7 is to the left of -1.3, we say that -2.7 is less than -1.3. We write:

In general, any number that is to the left of a number is less than .

We can see that -1.3 is greater than -2.7 because -1.3 is to the right of -2.7. We write:

In general, any number that is to the right of a number is greater than

We can also see that and . In general, any positive number is greater
than any negative number.

Glossary
• sign

Unit 7 Lesson 3 23
 Lesson 3 Practice Problems
1. Decide whether each inequality statement is true or false. Explain your reasoning.

a.

b.

c.

d.

2. Here is a true statement: . Select all of the statements that are equivalent
to .

A. -8.7 is further to the right on the number line than -8.4.

B. -8.7 is further to the left on the number line than -8.4.

C. -8.7 is less than -8.4.

D. -8.7 is greater than -8.4.

E. -8.4 is less than -8.7.

F. -8.4 is greater than -8.7.

3. Plot each of the following numbers on the number line. Label each point with its
numeric value. 0.4, -1.5, ,

(From Unit 7, Lesson 2.)

24
 4. The table shows five states and the
lowest point in each state. state lowest elevation (feet)

Put the states in order by their lowest California -282

elevation, from least to greatest.
Colorado 3350

Louisiana -8

New Mexico 2842

Wyoming 3099

(From Unit 7, Lesson 4.)

5. Each lap around the track is 400 meters.

a. How many meters does someone run if they run:

2 laps? 5 laps? laps?

b. If Noah ran 14 laps, how many meters did he run?

c. If Noah ran 7,600 meters, how many laps did he run?

(From Unit 6, Lesson 6.)

6. A stadium can seat 16,000 people at full capacity.

a. If there are 13,920 people in the stadium, what percentage of the capacity is
filled? Explain or show your reasoning.

b. What percentage of the capacity is not filled?

(From Unit 3, Lesson 16.)

Unit 7 Lesson 3 Practice Problems 25

 Lesson 4: Ordering Rational Numbers
Let’s order rational numbers.

4.1: How Do They Compare?

Use the symbols >, <, or = to compare each pair of numbers. Be prepared to explain your
reasoning.

• 12 _____ 19 • 212 _____ 190

• 15 _____ 1.5 • 9.02 _____ 9.2

• 6.050 _____ 6.05 • 0.4 _____

• _____ • _____

4.2: Ordering Rational Number Cards

Your teacher will give you a set of number cards. Order them from least to greatest.

Your teacher will give you a second set of number cards. Add these to the correct places in
the ordered set.

26
 4.3: Comparing Points on A Line
1.

Use each of the following terms at least once to describe or compare the values of
points , , , .

◦ greater than
◦ less than
◦ opposite of (or opposites)
◦ negative number

2. Tell what the value of each point would be if:

a. is

b. is -0.4

c. is 200

d. is -15

Unit 7 Lesson 4 27
 Are you ready for more?
The list of fractions between 0 and 1 with denominators between 1 and 3 looks like this:

We can put them in order like this:

Now let’s expand the list to include fractions with denominators of 4. We won’t include ,
because is already on the list.

1. Expand the list again to include fractions that have denominators of 5.

2. Expand the list you made to include fractions have have denominators of 6.

3. When you add a new fraction to the list, you put it in between two “neighbors.” Go
back and look at your work. Do you see a relationship between a new fraction and its
two neighbors?

Lesson 4 Summary
To order rational numbers from least to greatest, we list them in the order they appear on
the number line from left to right. For example, we can see that the numbers

-2.7, -1.3, 0.8

are listed from least to greatest because of the order they appear on the number line.

28
 Lesson 4 Practice Problems
1. Select all of the numbers that are greater than .

A. 1.3

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

2. Order these numbers from least to greatest: , 0, 1, , ,

3. Here are the boiling points of certain elements in degrees Celsius:

◦ Argon: -185.8
◦ Chlorine: -34
◦ Fluorine: -188.1
◦ Hydrogen: -252.87
◦ Krypton: -153.2
List the elements from least to greatest boiling points.

4. Explain why zero is considered its own opposite.

(From Unit 7, Lesson 2.)

Unit 7 Lesson 4 Practice Problems 29

 5. Explain how to make these calculations mentally.

a.

b.

c.

d.

(From Unit 6, Lesson 9.)

6. Find the quotients.

a.

b.

c.

d.

(From Unit 4, Lesson 11.)

7. Over several months, the weight of a baby measured in pounds doubles. Does its
weight measured in kilograms also double? Explain.

(From Unit 3, Lesson 4.)

30
 Lesson 5: Using Negative Numbers to Make
Sense of Contexts
Let’s make sense of negative amounts of money.

5.1: Notice and Wonder: It Comes and Goes

activity amount

do my chores 30.00

babysit my cousin 45.00

buy my lunch -10.80

get my allowance 15.00

buy a shirt -18.69

pet my dog 0.00

What do you notice? What do you wonder?

Unit 7 Lesson 5 31
 5.2: The Concession Stand
The manager of the concession stand keeps records of all of the supplies she buys and all
of the items she sells. The table shows some of her records for Tuesday.

item quantity value in dollars

doughnuts -58 37.70

straws 3,000 -10.35

hot dogs -39 48.75

pizza 13 -116.87

apples -40 14.00

french fries -88 132.00

1. Which items did she sell? Explain your reasoning.

2. How can we interpret -58 in this situation?

3. How can we interpret -10.35 in this situation?

4. On which item did she spend the most amount of money? Explain your reasoning.

32
 5.3: Drinks for Sale
A vending machine in an office building sells bottled beverages. The machine keeps track
of all changes in the number of bottles from sales and from machine refills and
maintenance. This record shows the changes for every 5-minute period over one hour.

1. What might a positive number mean in this

context? What about a negative number? time number of bottles

8:00–8:04 -1

8:05–8:09 +12

2. What would a “0” in the second column mean 8:10–8:14 -4

in this context?
8:15–8:19 -1

8:20–8:24 -5
3. Which numbers—positive or negative—result
in fewer bottles in the machine? 8:25–8:29 -12

4. At what time was there the greatest change to 8:30–8:34 -2

the number of bottles in the machine? How did
that change affect the number of remaining 8:35–8:39 0
bottles in the machine?
8:40–8:44 0

8:45–8:49 -6

8:50–8:54 +24
5. At which time period, 8:05–8:09 or 8:25–8:29,
8:55–8:59 0
was there a greater change to the number of
bottles in the machine? Explain your reasoning.
service

6. The machine must be emptied to be serviced. If

there are 40 bottles in the machine when it is
to be serviced, what number will go in the
second column in the table?

Unit 7 Lesson 5 33
 Are you ready for more?
Priya, Mai, and Lin went to a cafe on a weekend. Their shared bill came to $25. Each
student gave the server a $10 bill. The server took this $30 and brought back five $1 bills in
change. Each student took $1 back, leaving the rest, $2, as a tip for the server.

As she walked away from the cafe, Lin thought, “Wait—this doesn’t make sense. Since I put
in $10 and got $1 back, I wound up paying $9. So did Mai and Priya. Together, we paid $27.
Then we left a $2 tip. That makes $29 total. And yet we originally gave the waiter $30.
Where did the extra dollar go?”

Think about the situation and about Lin’s question. Do you agree that the numbers didn’t
add up properly? Explain your reasoning.

Lesson 5 Summary
Sometimes we represent changes in a quantity with positive and negative numbers. If the
quantity increases, the change is positive. If it decreases, the change is negative.

• Suppose 5 gallons of water is put in a washing machine. We can represent the change
in the number of gallons as +5. If 3 gallons is emptied from the machine, we can
represent the change as -3.

It is especially common to represent money we receive with positive numbers and money
we spend with negative numbers.

• Suppose Clare gets $30.00 for her birthday and spends $18.00 buying lunch for
herself and a friend. To her, the value of the gift can be represented as +30.00 and
the value of the lunch as -18.00.

Whether a number is considered positive or negative depends on a person’s perspective. If

Clare’s grandmother gives her $20 for her birthday, Clare might see this as +20, because to
her, the amount of money she has increased. But her grandmother might see it as -20,
because to her, the amount of money she has decreased.

In general, when using positive and negative numbers to represent changes, we have to be
very clear about what it means when the change is positive and what it means when the
change is negative.

34
 Lesson 5 Practice Problems
1. Write a positive or negative number to represent each change in the high
temperature.

a. Tuesday’s high temperature was 4 degrees less than Monday’s high

temperature.

b. Wednesday’s high temperature was 3.5 degrees less than Tuesday’s high
temperature.

c. Thursday’s high temperature was 6.5 degrees more than Wednesday’s high
temperature.

d. Friday’s high temperature was 2 degrees less than Thursday’s high temperature.

2. Decide which of the following quantities can be represented by a positive number

and which can be represented by a negative number. Give an example of a quantity
with the opposite sign in the same situation.

a. Tyler’s puppy gained 5 pounds.

b. The aquarium leaked 2 gallons of water.

c. Andre received a gift of $10.

d. Kiran gave a gift of $10.

e. A climber descended 550 feet.

Unit 7 Lesson 5 Practice Problems 35

 3. Make up a situation where a quantity is changing.

a. Explain what it means to have a negative change.

b. Explain what it means to have a positive change.

c. Give an example of each.

4. a. On the number line, label the points that are 4 units away from 0.

b. If you fold the number line so that a vertical crease goes through 0, the points
you label would match up. Explain why this happens.

c. On the number line, label the points that are units from 0. What is the
distance between these points?

(From Unit 7, Lesson 2.)

5. Evaluate each expression.

◦ ◦
◦ ◦

◦ ◦

(From Unit 6, Lesson 12.)

36
 Lesson 6: Absolute Value of Numbers
Let’s explore distances from zero more closely.

6.1: Number Talk: Closer to Zero

For each pair of expressions, decide mentally which one has a value that is closer to 0.

or

or

or

or

Unit 7 Lesson 6 37
 6.2: Jumping Flea
1. A flea is jumping around on a number line.

a. If the flea starts at 1 and jumps 4 units to the right, where does it end up? How
far away from 0 is this?

b. If the flea starts at 1 and jumps 4 units to the left, where does it end up? How far
away from 0 is this?

c. If the flea starts at 0 and jumps 3 units away, where might it land?

d. If the flea jumps 7 units and lands at 0, where could it have started?

e. The absolute value of a number is the distance it is from 0. The flea is currently
to the left of 0 and the absolute value of its location is 4. Where on the number
line is it?

f. If the flea is to the left of 0 and the absolute value of its location is 5, where on
the number line is it?

g. If the flea is to the right of 0 and the absolute value of its location is 2.5, where
on the number line is it?

2. We use the notation to say "the absolute value of -2," which means "the distance
of -2 from 0 on the number line."

a. What does mean and what is its value?

b. What does mean and what is its value?

38
 6.3: Absolute Elevation and Temperature
1. A part of the city of New Orleans is 6 feet below sea level. We can use “-6 feet” to
describe its elevation, and “ feet” to describe its vertical distance from sea level. In
the context of elevation, what would each of the following numbers describe?

a. 25 feet

b. feet

c. -8 feet

d. feet

2. The elevation of a city is different from sea level by 10 feet. Name the two elevations
that the city could have.

3. We write “ ” to describe a temperature that is 5 degrees Celsius below freezing

point and “ ” for a temperature that is 5 degrees above freezing. In this context,
what do each of the following numbers describe?

a.

b.

c.

d.

4. a. Which temperature is colder: or ?

b. Which temperature is closer to freezing temperature: or ?
c. Which temperature has a smaller absolute value? Explain how you know.

Unit 7 Lesson 6 39
 Are you ready for more?
At a certain time, the difference between the temperature in New York City and in Boston
was 7 degrees Celsius. The difference between the temperature in Boston and in Chicago
was also 7 degrees Celsius. Was the temperature in New York City the same as the
temperature in Chicago? Explain your answer.

Lesson 6 Summary
We compare numbers by comparing their positions on the number line: the one farther to
the right is greater; the one farther to the left is less.

Sometimes we wish to compare which one is closer to or farther from 0. For example, we
may want to know how far away the temperature is from the freezing point of ,
regardless of whether it is above or below freezing.

The absolute value of a number tells us its distance from 0.

The absolute value of -4 is 4, because -4 is 4 units to the left of 0. The absolute value of 4 is
also 4, because 4 is 4 units to the right of 0. Opposites always have the same absolute
value because they both have the same distance from 0.

The distance from 0 to itself is 0, so the absolute value of 0 is 0. Zero is the only number
whose distance to 0 is 0. For all other absolute values, there are always two numbers—one
positive and one negative—that have that distance from 0.

To say “the absolute value of 4,” we write:

To say that “the absolute value of -8 is 8,” we write:

Glossary
• absolute value

40
 Lesson 6 Practice Problems
1. On the number line, plot and label all numbers with an absolute value of .

2. The temperature at dawn is away from 0. Select all the temperatures that are
possible.

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

3. Put these numbers in order, from least to greatest.

0 1.3 2

4. Lin’s family needs to travel 325 miles to reach her grandmother’s house.

a. At 26 miles, what percentage of the trip’s distance have they completed?

b. How far have they traveled when they have completed 72% of the trip’s
distance?

c. At 377 miles, what percentage of the trip’s distance have they completed?

(From Unit 5, Lesson 11.)

Unit 7 Lesson 6 Practice Problems 41

 5. Elena donates some money to charity whenever she earns money as a babysitter.
The table shows how much money, , she donates for different amounts of money,
, that she earns.

4.44 1.80 3.12 3.60 2.16

37 15 26 30 18

a. What percent of her income does Elena donate to charity? Explain or show your
work.

b. Which quantity, or , would be the better choice for the dependent variable in
an equation describing the relationship between and ? Explain your
reasoning.

c. Use your choice from the second question to write an equation that relates
and .

(From Unit 6, Lesson 16.)

6. How many times larger is the first number in the pair than the second?

a. is _____ times larger than .

b. is _____ times larger than .

c. is _____ times larger than .

d. is _____ times larger than .

e. is _____ times larger than .

(From Unit 6, Lesson 12.)

42
 Lesson 7: Comparing Numbers and Distance
from Zero
Let’s use absolute value and negative numbers to think about elevation.

7.1: Opposites
1. is a rational number. Choose a value for and plot it on the number line.

2. a. Based on where you plotted , plot on the same number line.

b. What is the value of that you plotted?

3. Noah said, “If is a rational number, will always be a negative number.” Do you
agree with Noah? Explain your reasoning.

Unit 7 Lesson 7 43
 7.2: Submarine
A submarine is at an elevation of -100 feet (100 feet below sea level). Let’s compare the
elevations of these four people to that of the submarine:

• Clare’s elevation is greater than the elevation of the submarine. Clare is farther from
sea level than the submarine.
• Andre’s elevation is less than the elevation of the submarine. Andre is farther away
from sea level than the submarine.
• Han’s elevation is greater than the elevation of the submarine. Han is closer to sea
level than is the submarine.
• Lin’s elevation is the same distance away from sea level as the submarine’s.
1. Complete the table as follows.

a. Write a possible elevation for each person.

b. Use , , or to compare the elevation of that person to that of the

submarine.

c. Use absolute value to tell how far away the person is from sea level (elevation
0).

As an example, the first row has been filled with a possible elevation for Clare.

possible compare to distance from

elevation submarine sea level

Clare 150 feet or 150 feet

Andre

Han

Lin

2. Priya says her elevation is less than the submarine’s and she is closer to sea level. Is
this possible? Explain your reasoning.

44
 7.3: Info Gap: Points on the Number Line
Your teacher will give you either a problem card or a data card. Do not show or read your
card to your partner.

If your teacher gives you the problem card: If your teacher gives you the data card:

1. Silently read your card and think about 1. Silently read your card.
what information you need to be able
to answer the question. 2. Ask your partner “What specific
information do you need?” and wait for
2. Ask your partner for the specific them to ask for information.
information that you need.
If your partner asks for information that
3. Explain how you are using the is not on the card, do not do the
information to solve the problem. calculations for them. Tell them you
don’t have that information.
Continue to ask questions until you
have enough information to solve the 3. Before sharing the information, ask
problem. “Why do you need that information?”
Listen to your partner’s reasoning and
4. Share the problem card and solve the ask clarifying questions.
problem independently.
4. Read the problem card and solve the
5. Read the data card and discuss your problem independently.
reasoning.
5. Share the data card and discuss your
reasoning.

Unit 7 Lesson 7 45
 7.4: Inequality Mix and Match
Here are some numbers and inequality symbols. Work with your partner to write true
comparison statements.

-0.7 1 4

-2.5 2.5 8

-4 0

One partner should select two numbers and one comparison symbol and use them to
write a true statement using symbols. The other partner should write a sentence in words
with the same meaning, using the following phrases:

• is equal to
• is the absolute value of
• is greater than
• is less than
For example, one partner could write and the other would write, “4 is less than 8.”
Switch roles until each partner has three true mathematical statements and three
sentences written down.

46
 Are you ready for more?
For each question, choose a value for each variable to make the whole statement true.
(When the word and is used in math, both parts have to be true for the whole statement to
be true.) Can you do it if one variable is negative and one is positive? Can you do it if both
values are negative?

1. and .

2. and .

3. and .

4. and .

Lesson 7 Summary
We can use elevation to help us compare two rational numbers or two absolute values.

• Suppose an anchor has an elevation of -10 meters and a house has an elevation of 12
meters. To describe the anchor having a lower elevation than the house, we can write
and say “-10 is less than 12.”

• The anchor is closer to sea level than the house is to sea level (or elevation of 0). To
describe this, we can write and say “the distance between -10 and 0 is
less than the distance between 12 and 0.”

We can use similar descriptions to compare rational numbers and their absolute values
outside of the context of elevation.

• To compare the distance of -47.5 and 5.2 from 0, we can say: is 47.5 units
away from 0, and is 5.2 units away from 0, so .

• means that the absolute value of -18 is greater than 4. This is true because
18 is greater than 4.

Unit 7 Lesson 7 47
 Lesson 7 Practice Problems
1. In the context of elevation, what would feet mean?

2. Match the the statements written in English with the mathematical statements.

A. The number -4 is a distance of 4 units 1.

away from 0 on the number line.
2.
B. The number -63 is more than 4 units
away from 0 on the number line. 3.

C. The number 4 is greater than the 4.

number -4.
5.
D. The numbers 4 and -4 are the same
6.
distance away from 0 on the number
line.

E. The number -63 is less than the

number 4.

F. The number -63 is further away from

0 than the number 4 on the number
line.

3. Compare each pair of expressions using >, <, or =.

◦ _____ ◦ _____

◦ _____ ◦ _____

◦ _____ ◦ _____

◦ _____ ◦ _____

48
 4. Mai received and spent money in the following ways last month. For each example,
write a signed number to represent the change in money from her perspective.

a. Her grandmother gave her $25 in a birthday card.

b. She earned $14 dollars babysitting.

c. She spent $10 on a ticket to the concert.

d. She donated $3 to a local charity

e. She got $2 interest on money that was in her savings account.

(From Unit 7, Lesson 5.)

5. Here are the lowest temperatures recorded in the last 2 centuries for some US cities.

◦ Death Valley, CA was in January of 1937.

◦ Danbury, CT was in February of 1943.
◦ Monticello, FL was in February of 1899.
◦ East Saint Louis, IL was in January of 1999.
◦ Greenville, GA was in January of 1940.

a. Which of these states has the lowest record temperature?

b. Which state has a lower record temperature, FL or GA?

c. Which state has a lower record temperature, CT or IL?

d. How many more degrees colder is the record temperature for GA than for FL?

(From Unit 7, Lesson 1.)

6. Find the quotients.

a.

b.

c.

d.

(From Unit 5, Lesson 13.)

Unit 7 Lesson 7 Practice Problems 49

 Lesson 8: Writing and Graphing Inequalities
Let’s write inequalities.

8.1: Estimate Heights of People

1. Here is a picture of a man.

a. Name a number, in feet, that is clearly too high for

this man’s height.

b. Name a number, in feet, that is clearly too low for

his height.

c. Make an estimate of his height.

Pause here for a class discussion.

2. Here is a picture of the same man standing next to a child.

If the man’s actual height is 5 feet 10 inches, what can

you say about the height of the child in this picture?

Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

50
 8.2: Stories about 9
1. Your teacher will give you a set of paper slips with four stories and questions
involving the number 9. Match each question to three representations of the
solution: a description or a list, a number line, or an inequality statement.

2. Compare your matching decisions with another group's. If there are disagreements,
discuss until both groups come to an agreement. Then, record your final matching
decisions here.
a. A fishing boat can hold fewer than 9 people. How many people ( ) can it hold?

▪ Description or list:
▪ Number line:

▪ Inequality:
b. Lin needs more than 9 ounces of butter to make cookies for her party. How
many ounces of butter ( ) would be enough?

▪ Description or list:
▪ Number line:

▪ Inequality:
c. A magician will perform her magic tricks only if there are at least 9 people in the
audience. For how many people ( ) will she perform her magic tricks?

▪ Description or list:
▪ Number line:

▪ Inequality:

Unit 7 Lesson 8 51
 d. A food scale can measure up to 9 kilograms of weight. What weights ( ) can the
scale measure?

▪ Description or list:
▪ Number line:

▪ Inequality:

8.3: How High and How Low Can It Be?

Here is a picture of a person and a basketball hoop. Based on the picture, what do you
think are reasonable estimates for the maximum and minimum heights of the basketball
hoop?

1. Complete the first blank in each sentence with an estimate, and the second blank
with “taller” or “shorter.”

a. I estimate the minimum height of the

basketball hoop to be _________ feet;
this means the hoop cannot be
_____________ than this height.

b. I estimate the maximum height of the

basketball hoop to be _________ feet;
this means the hoop cannot be
_____________ than this height.

2. Write two inequalities—one to show your estimate for the minimum height of the
basketball hoop, and another for the maximum height. Use an inequality symbol and
the variable to represent the unknown height.

52
 3. Plot each estimate for minimum or maximum value on a number line.

◦ Minimum:

◦ Maximum:

4. Suppose a classmate estimated the value of to be 19 feet. Does this estimate agree
with your inequality for the maximum height? Does it agree with your inequality for
the minimum height? Explain or show how you know.

5. Ask a partner for an estimate of . Record the estimate and check if it agrees with
your inequalities for maximum and minimum heights.

Are you ready for more?

1. Find 3 different numbers that could be if . Plot these points on the number
line. Then plot as many other possibilities for as you can.

2. Find 3 different numbers that could be if . Plot these points on the number
line. Then plot as many other possibilities for as you can.

Unit 7 Lesson 8 53
 Lesson 8 Summary
An inequality tells us that one value is less than or greater than another value.

Suppose we knew the temperature is less than , but we don’t know exactly what it is. To
represent what we know about the temperature in we can write the inequality:

The temperature can also be graphed on a number line. Any point to the left of 3 is a
possible value for . The open circle at 3 means that cannot be equal to 3, because the
temperature is less than 3.

Here is another example. Suppose a young traveler has to be at least 16 years old to fly on
an airplane without an accompanying adult.

If represents the age of the traveler, any number greater than 16 is a possible value for
, and 16 itself is also a possible value of . We can show this on a number line by drawing
a closed circle at 16 to show that it meets the requirement (a 16-year-old person can travel
alone). From there, we draw a line that points to the right.

We can also write an inequality and equation to show possible values for :

54
 Lesson 8 Practice Problems
1. At the book sale, all books cost less than $5.

a. What is the most expensive a book could be?

b. Write an inequality to represent costs of books at the sale.

c. Draw a number line to represent the inequality.

2. Kiran started his homework before 7:00 p.m. and finished his homework after 8:00
p.m. Let represent the number of hours Kiran worked on his homework.

Decide if each statement it is definitely true, definitely not true, or possibly true.
Explain your reasoning.

a.

b.

c.

d.

Unit 7 Lesson 8 Practice Problems 55

 3. Consider a rectangular prism with length 4 and width and height .

a. Find an expression for the volume of the prism in

terms of .

b. Compute the volume of the prism when ,

when , and when .

(From Unit 6, Lesson 14.)

4. Match the statements written in English with the mathematical statements. All of
these statements are true.

A. The number -15 is further away from 1.

0 than the number -12 on the
number line. 2.

B. The number -12 is a distance of 3.

12 units away from 0 on the number
4.
line.
5.
C. The distance between -12 and 0 on
the number line is greater than -15. 6.

D. The numbers 12 and -12 are the

same distance away from 0 on the
number line.

E. The number -15 is less than the

number -12.

F. The number 12 is greater than the

number -12.

(From Unit 7, Lesson 7.)

56
 5. Here are five sums. Use the distributive property to write each sum as a product with
two factors.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

(From Unit 6, Lesson 11.)

Unit 7 Lesson 8 Practice Problems 57

 Lesson 9: Solutions of Inequalities
Let’s think about the solutions to inequalities.

9.1: Unknowns on a Number Line

The number line shows several points, each labeled with a letter.

1. Fill in each blank with a letter so that the inequality statements are true.

a. _______ > _______

b. _______ < _______

2. Jada says that she found three different ways to complete the first question correctly.
Do you think this is possible? Explain your reasoning.

3. List a possible value for each letter on the number line based on its location.

58
 9.2: Amusement Park Rides
Priya finds these
height requirements To ride the . . . you must be . . .
for some of the rides
at an amusement High Bounce between 55 and 72 inches tall
park.
Climb-A-Thon under 60 inches tall

Twirl-O-Coaster 58 inches minimum

1. Write an inequality for each of the the three height requirements. Use for the
unknown height. Then, represent each height requirement on a number line.

◦ High Bounce

◦ Climb-A-Thon

◦ Twirl-O-Coaster

Pause here for additional instructions from your teacher.

2. Han’s cousin is 55 inches tall. Han doesn’t think she is tall enough to ride the High
Bounce, but Kiran believes that she is tall enough. Do you agree with Han or Kiran?
Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

3. Priya can ride the Climb-A-Thon, but she cannot ride the High Bounce or the
Twirl-O-Coaster. Which, if any, of the following could be Priya’s height? Be prepared
to explain your reasoning.

◦ 59 inches
◦ 53 inches
◦ 56 inches
4. Jada is 56 inches tall. Which rides can she go on?

5. Kiran is 60 inches tall. Which rides can he go on?

Unit 7 Lesson 9 59
 6. The inequalities and represent the height restrictions, in inches, of
another ride. Write three values that are solutions to both of these inequalities.

Are you ready for more?

1. Represent the height restrictions for all three rides on a single number line, using a
different color for each ride.

2. Which part of the number line is shaded with all 3 colors?

3. Name one possible height a person could be in order to go on all three rides.

9.3: What Number Am I?

Your teacher will give your group two sets of cards—one set shows inequalities and the
other shows numbers. Place the inequality cards face up where everyone can see them.
Shuffle the number cards and stack them face down.

To play:

• One person in your group is the detective. The other people will give clues.
• Pick one number card from the stack and show it to everyone except the detective.
• The people giving clues each choose an inequality that will help the detective
identify the unknown number.
• The detective studies the inequalities and makes three guesses.
◦ If the detective does not guess the right number, each person chooses another
inequality to help.
◦ When the detective does guess the right number, a new person becomes the
detective.

• Repeat the game until everyone has had a turn being the detective.

60
 Lesson 9 Summary
Let’s say a movie ticket costs less than $10. If represents the cost of a movie ticket, we
can use to express what we know about the cost of a ticket.

Any value of that makes the inequality true is called a solution to the inequality.

For example, 5 is a solution to the inequality because (or “5 is less than 10”)
is a true statement, but 12 is not a solution because (“12 is less than 10”) is not a
true statement.

If a situation involves more than one boundary or limit, we will need more than one
inequality to express it.

For example, if we knew that it rained for more than 10 minutes but less than 30 minutes,
we can describe the number of minutes that it rained ( ) with the following inequalities
and number lines.

Any number of minutes greater than 10 is a solution to , and any number less than
30 is a solution to . But to meet the condition of “more than 10 but less than 30,” the
solutions are limited to the numbers between 10 and 30 minutes, not including 10 and 30.

We can show the solutions visually by graphing the two inequalities on one number line.

Glossary
• solution to an inequality

Unit 7 Lesson 9 61
 Lesson 9 Practice Problems
1. a. Select all numbers that are solutions to the inequality .

4 5 6 5.2 5.01 0.5

b. Draw a number line to represent this inequality.

2. A sign on the road says: “Speed limit, 60 miles per hour.”

a. Let be the speed of a car. Write an inequality that matches the information on
the sign.

b. Draw a number line to represent the solutions to the inequality.

c. Could 60 be a value of ? Explain your reasoning.

3. One day in Boston, MA, the high temperature was 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and the
low temperature was 52 degrees.

a. Write one or more inequalities to describe the temperatures that are between
the high and low temperature on that day.

b. Show the possible temperatures on a number line.

62
 4. Select all the true statements.

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

(From Unit 7, Lesson 7.)

5. Match each equation to its solution.

a. ◦2
b. ◦3
c. ◦4
d. ◦ 10
(From Unit 6, Lesson 15.)

6. a. The price of a cell phone is usually $250. Elena’s mom buys one of these cell
phones for $150. What percentage of the usual price did she pay?

b. Elena’s dad buys another type of cell phone that also usually sells for $250. He
pays 75% of the usual price. How much did he pay?

(From Unit 3, Lesson 14.)

Unit 7 Lesson 9 Practice Problems 63

 Lesson 10: Interpreting Inequalities
Let’s examine what inequalities can tell us.

10.1: True or False: Fractions and Decimals

Is each equation true or false? Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

1.

2. =

3. =

10.2: Basketball Game

Noah scored points in a basketball game.

1. What does mean in the context of the basketball game?

2. What does mean in the context of the basketball game?

3. Draw two number lines to represent the solutions to the two inequalities.

4. Name a possible value for that is a solution to both inequalities.

5. Name a possible value for that is a solution to , but not a solution to .

6. Can -8 be a solution to in this context? Explain your reasoning.

64
 10.3: Unbalanced Hangers
1. Here is a diagram of an unbalanced hanger.

a. Jada says that the weight of one circle is greater than the
weight of one pentagon. Write an inequality to represent
her statement. Let be the weight of one pentagon and
be the weight of one circle.

b. A circle weighs 12 ounces. Use this information to write

another inequality to represent the relationship of the
weights. Then, describe what this inequality means in this
context.

2. Here is another diagram of an unbalanced hanger.

a. Write an inequality to represent the relationship of the

weights. Let be the weight of one pentagon and be the
weight of one square.

b. One pentagon weighs 8 ounces. Use this information to

write another inequality to represent the relationship of
the weights. Then, describe what this inequality means in
this context.

c. Graph the solutions to this inequality on a number line.

3. Based on your work so far, can you tell the relationship between the weight of a
square and the weight of a circle? If so, write an inequality to represent that
relationship. If not, explain your reasoning.

Unit 7 Lesson 10 65
 4. This is another diagram of an unbalanced hanger.

Andre writes the following inequality: . Do you

agree with his inequality? Explain your reasoning.

5. Jada looks at another diagram of an unbalanced hangar and writes: , where

represents the weight of one triangle. Draw a sketch of the diagram.

Are you ready for more?

Here is a picture of a balanced hanger. It shows that the total weight of the three triangles
is the same as the total weight of the four squares.

1. What does this tell you about the weight of one square when
compared to one triangle? Explain how you know.

2. Write an equation or an inequality to describe the relationship

between the weight of a square and that of a triangle. Let be
the weight of a square and be the weight of a triangle.

66
 Lesson 10 Summary
When we find the solutions to an inequality, we should think about its context carefully. A
number may be a solution to an inequality outside of a context, but may not make sense
when considered in context.

• Suppose a basketball player scored more than 11 points in a game, and we represent
the number of points she scored, , with the inequality . By looking only
at , we can say that numbers such as 12, , and 130.25 are all solutions to
the inequality because they each make the inequality true.

In a basketball game, however, it is only possible to score a whole number of points,

so fractional and decimal scores are not possible. It is also highly unlikely that one
person would score more than 130 points in a single game.

In other words, the context of an inequality may limit its solutions.

Here is another example:

• The solutions to can include numbers such as , 18.5, 0, and -7. But if
represents the number of minutes of rain yesterday (and it did rain), then our
solutions are limited to positive numbers. Zero or negative number of minutes would
not make sense in this context.

To show the upper and lower boundaries, we can write two inequalities:

Inequalities can also represent comparison of two unknown numbers.

• Let’s say we knew that a puppy weighs more than a kitten, but we did not know the
weight of either animal. We can represent the weight of the puppy, in pounds, with
and the weight of the kitten, in pounds, with , and write this inequality:

Unit 7 Lesson 10 67
 Lesson 10 Practice Problems
1. There is a closed carton of eggs in Mai's refrigerator. The carton contains eggs and
it can hold 12 eggs.

a. What does the inequality mean in this context?

b. What does the inequality mean in this context?

c. What are some possible values of that will make both and true?

2. Here is a diagram of an unbalanced hanger.

a. Write an inequality to represent the relationship of the

weights. Use to represent the weight of the square in
grams and to represent the weight of the circle in grams.

b. One red circle weighs 12 grams. Write an inequality to

represent the weight of one blue square.

c. Could 0 be a value of ? Explain your reasoning.

3. a. Jada is taller than Diego. Diego is 54 inches tall (4 feet, 6 inches). Write an
inequality that compares Jada’s height in inches, , to Diego’s height.

b. Jada is shorter than Elena. Elena is 5 feet tall. Write an inequality that compares
Jada’s height in inches, , to Elena’s height.

(From Unit 7, Lesson 8.)

68
 4. Tyler has more than $10. Elena has more money than Tyler. Mai has more money
than Elena. Let be the amount of money that Tyler has, let be the amount of
money that Elena has, and let be the amount of money that Mai has. Select all
statements that are true:

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

5. Which is greater, or -0.5? Explain how you know. If you get stuck, consider plotting
the numbers on a number line.

(From Unit 7, Lesson 3.)

6. Select all the expressions that are equivalent to .

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

(From Unit 6, Lesson 13.)

Unit 7 Lesson 10 Practice Problems 69

 Lesson 11: Points on the Coordinate Plane
Let’s explore and extend the coordinate plane.

11.1: Guess My Line

1. Choose a horizontal or a vertical line on the grid. Draw 4 points on the line and label
each point with its coordinates.

2. Tell your partner whether your line is horizontal or vertical, and have your partner
guess the locations of your points by naming coordinates.

If a guess is correct, put an X through the point. If your partner guessed a point that
is on your line but not the point that you plotted, say, “That point is on my line, but is
not one of my points.”

Take turns guessing each other’s points, 3 guesses per turn.

70
 11.2: The Coordinate Plane
1. Label each point on the coordinate plane with an ordered pair.

2. What do you notice about the locations and ordered pairs of , , and ? How are
they different from those for point ?

3. Plot a point at . Label it . Plot another point at . Label it .

4. The coordinate plane is divided into four quadrants, I, II, III, and IV, as shown here.

5. In which quadrant is point located? Point ? Point ?

Unit 7 Lesson 11 71
 6. A point has a positive -coordinate. In which quadrant could it be?

11.3: Coordinated Archery

Here is an image of an archery target on a coordinate plane. The scores for landing an
arrow in the colored regions are shown.

Name the coordinates for a possible landing point to score:

1. 6 points

2. 10 points

3. 2 points

4. No points

5. 4 points

6. 8 points

72
 Are you ready for more?
Pretend you are stuck in a coordinate plane. You can only take vertical and horizontal
steps that are one unit long.

1. How many ways are there to get from the point to if you will only step
down and to the right?

2. How many ways are there to get from the point to if you can only step
up and to the right?

3. Make up some more problems like this and see what patterns you notice.

Lesson 11 Summary
Just as the number line can be extended to the left to include negative numbers, the -
and -axis of a coordinate plane can also be extended to include negative values.

The ordered pair can have

negative - and -values. For
, the -value of -4 tells us
that the point is 4 units to the left of
the -axis. The -value of 1 tells us
that the point is one unit above the
-axis.

The same reasoning applies to the

points and . The - and
-coordinates for point are
positive, so is to the right of the
-axis and above the -axis. The -
and -coordinates for point are
negative, so is to the left of the
-axis and below the -axis.

Glossary
• quadrant

Unit 7 Lesson 11 73
 Lesson 11 Practice Problems
1. a. Graph these points in the coordinate plane: , , , .

b. Connect all of the points. Describe the figure.

2. Write the coordinates of each point.

74
 3. These three points form a horizontal line: , , and . Name two
additional points that fall on this line.

4. One night, it is warmer in Tucson than it was in Minneapolis. If the

temperatures in Tucson and Minneapolis are opposites, what is the temperature in
Tucson?

A.

B.

C.

D.

(From Unit 7, Lesson 2.)

5. Lin ran 29 meters in 10 seconds. She ran at a constant speed.

a. How far did Lin run every second?

b. At this rate, how far can she run in 1 minute?

(From Unit 2, Lesson 9.)

Unit 7 Lesson 11 Practice Problems 75

 6. Noah is helping his band sell boxes of chocolate to fund a field trip. Each box
contains 20 bars and each bar sells for $1.50.

a. Complete the table for values of .

boxes sold money collected

b. Write an equation for the amount of money, , that will be collected if boxes
of chocolate bars are sold. Which is the independent variable and which is the
dependent variable in your equation?

c. Write an equation for the number of boxes, , that were sold if dollars were
collected. Which is the independent variable and which is the dependent
variable in your equation?

(From Unit 6, Lesson 16.)

76
 Lesson 12: Constructing the Coordinate Plane
Let’s investigate different ways of creating a coordinate plane.

12.1: English Winter

The following data were collected over one
December afternoon in England.

time after temperature

noon (hours) ( )

0 5

1 3

2 4

3 2

4 1

5 -2

6 -3

7 -4

8 -4

1. Which set of axes would you choose to

represent these data? Explain your reasoning.

2. Explain why the other two sets of axes did not

seem as appropriate as the one you chose.

Unit 7 Lesson 12 77
 12.2: Axes Drawing Decisions
1. Here are three sets of coordinates. For each set, draw and label an appropriate pair
of axes and plot the points.

a.

b.

78
 c.

2. Discuss with a partner:

◦ How are the axes and labels of your three drawings different?
◦ How did the coordinates affect the way you drew the axes and label the
numbers?

Unit 7 Lesson 12 79
 12.3: Positively A-maze-ing
Here is a maze on a coordinate plane. The black point in the center is (0, 0). The side of
each grid square is 2 units long.

1. Enter the above maze at the location marked with a green segment. Draw line
segments to show your way through and out of the maze. Label each turning point
with a letter. Then, list all the letters and write their coordinates.

2. Choose any 2 turning points that share the same line segment. What is the same
about their coordinates? Explain why they share that feature.

80
 Are you ready for more?
To get from the point to you can go two units up and six units to the left, for a
total distance of eight units. This is called the “taxicab distance,” because a taxi driver
would have to drive eight blocks to get between those two points on a map.

Find as many points as you can that have a taxicab distance of eight units away from .
What shape do these points make?

Lesson 12 Summary
The coordinate plane can be used to show
information involving pairs of numbers. time temperature
(hours from midnight) (degrees C)
When using the coordinate plane, we should
pay close attention to what each axis -4 3
represents and what scale each uses.
-1 -2
Suppose we want to plot the following data
about the temperatures in Minneapolis one 0 -4
evening.
3 -8

Unit 7 Lesson 12 81
 We can decide that the -axis represents number of hours in relation to midnight and
the -axis represents temperatures in degrees Celsius.

• In this case, -values less than 0 represent hours before midnight, and -values
greater than 0 represent hours after midnight.

• On the -axis, the values represents temperatures above and below the freezing
point of 0 degrees Celsius.

The data involve whole numbers, so it is appropriate that the each square on the grid
represents a whole number.

• On the left of the origin, the -axis needs to go as far as -4 or less (farther to the left).
On the right, it needs to go to 3 or greater.

• Below the origin, the -axis has to go as far as -8 or lower. Above the origin, it needs
to go to 3 or higher.

Here is a graph of the data with the axes labeled appropriately.

On this coordinate plane, a point at would mean a temperature of 0 degrees Celsius

at midnight. The point at means a temperature of 3 degrees Celsius at 4
hours before midnight (or 8 p.m.).

82
 Lesson 12 Practice Problems
1. Draw and label an appropriate pair of axes and plot the points.

2. Diego was asked to plot these points: , , , ,

. What interval could he use for each axis? Explain your reasoning.

3. a. Name 4 points that would form a square with the origin at its center.

b. Graph these points to check if they form a square.

Unit 7 Lesson 12 Practice Problems 83

 4. Which of the following changes would you represent using a negative number?
Explain what a positive number would represent in that situation.

a. A loss of 4 points

b. A gain of 50 yards

c. A loss of $10

d. An elevation above sea level

(From Unit 7, Lesson 5.)

5. Jada is buying notebooks for school. The cost of each notebook is $1.75.

a. Write an equation that shows the cost of Jada’s notebooks, , in terms of the
number of notebooks, , that she buys.

b. Which of the following could be points on the graph of your equation?

(From Unit 6, Lesson 16.)

6. A corn field has an area of 28.6 acres. It requires about 15,000,000 gallons of water.
About how many gallons of water per acre is that?

A. 5,000

B. 50,000

C. 500,000

D. 5,000,000

(From Unit 5, Lesson 13.)

84
 Lesson 13: Interpreting Points on a Coordinate
Plane
Let’s examine what points on the coordinate plane can tell us.

13.1: Unlabeled Points

Label each point on the coordinate plane with the appropriate letter and ordered pair.

Unit 7 Lesson 13 85
 13.2: Account Balance
The graph shows the balance in a bank account over a period of 14 days. The axis labeled
represents account balance in dollars. The axis labeled represents the day.

1. Estimate the greatest account balance. On which day did it occur?

2. Estimate the least account balance. On which day did it occur?

3. What does the point tell you about the account balance?

4. How can we interpret in the context?

86
 13.3: High and Low Temperatures
The coordinate plane shows the high and low temperatures in Nome, Alaska over a period
of 8 days. The axis labeled represents temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit. The axis
labeled represents the day.

1. a. What was the warmest high temperature?

b. Write an inequality to describe the high temperatures, , over the 8-day period.

2. a. What was the coldest low temperature?

b. Write an inequality to describe the low temperatures, , over the 8-day period.

3. a. On which day(s) did the largest difference between the high and low
temperatures occur? Write down this difference.

b. On which day(s) did the smallest difference between the high and low
temperatures occur? Write down this difference.

Unit 7 Lesson 13 87
 Are you ready for more?
Before doing this problem, do the problem about taxicab distance in an earlier lesson.

The point is 4 taxicab units away from and 4 taxicab units away from .

1. Find as many other points as you can that are 4 taxicab units away from both
and .

2. Are there any points that are 3 taxicab units away from both points?

Lesson 13 Summary
Points on the coordinate plane can give us information about a context or a situation. One
of those contexts is about money.

To open a bank account, we have to put money into the account. The account balance is
the amount of money in the account at any given time. If we put in $350 when opening the
account, then the account balance will be 350.

Sometimes we may have no money in the account and need to borrow money from the
bank. In that situation, the account balance would have a negative value. If we borrow
$200, then the account balance is -200.

A coordinate grid can be used to display both the balance and the day or time for any
balance. This allows to see how the balance changes over time or to compare the balances
of different days.

Similarly, if we plot on the coordinate plane data such as temperature over time, we can
see how temperature changes over time or compare temperatures of different times.

88
 Lesson 13 Practice Problems
1. The elevation of a submarine is shown in the table. Draw and label coordinate axes
with an appropriate scale and plot the points.

time after
elevation
noon
(meters)
(hours)

0 -567

1 -892

2 -1,606

3 -1,289

4 -990

5 -702

6 -365

2. The inequalities and represent the height requirements for an

amusement park ride, where represents a person's height in inches.

Write a sentence or draw a sign that describes these rules as clearly as possible.

(From Unit 7, Lesson 8.)

Unit 7 Lesson 13 Practice Problems 89

 3. The -axis represents the number of hours before or after noon, and the -axis
represents the temperature in degrees Celsius.

a. At 9 a.m., it was below freezing. In what quadrant would this point be plotted?

b. At 11 a.m., it was . In what quadrant would this point be plotted?

c. Choose another time and temperature. Then tell the quadrant where the point
should be plotted.

d. What does the point represent in this context?

4. Solve each equation.

(From Unit 6, Lesson 4.)

90
 Lesson 14: Distances on a Coordinate Plane
Let’s explore distance on the coordinate plane.

14.1: Coordinate Patterns

Plot points in your assigned quadrant and label them with their coordinates.

Unit 7 Lesson 14 91
 14.2: Signs of Numbers in Coordinates
1. Write the coordinates of each point.

2. Answer these questions for each pair of points.

◦ How are the coordinates the same? How are they different?
◦ How far away are they from the y-axis? To the left or to the right of it?
◦ How far away are they from the x-axis? Above or below it?
a. and

b. and

c. and

Pause here for a class discussion.

92
 3. Point has the same coordinates as point , except its -coordinate has the
opposite sign.

a. Plot point on the coordinate plane and label it with its coordinates.

b. How far away are and from the -axis?

c. What is the distance between and ?

4. Point has the same coordinates as point , except its -coordinate has the
opposite sign.

a. Plot point on the coordinate plane and label it with its coordinates.

b. How far away are and from the -axis?

c. What is the distance between and ?

5. Point has the same coordinates as point , except its both coordinates have the
opposite sign. In which quadrant is point ?

Unit 7 Lesson 14 93
 14.3: Finding Distances on a Coordinate Plane
1. Label each point with its coordinates.

2. Find the distance between each of the following pairs of points.

a. Point and

b. Point and

c. Point and

3. Which of the points are 5 units from ?

4. Which of the points are 2 units from ?

5. Plot a point that is both 2.5 units from and 9 units from . Label that point and
write down its coordinates.

94
 Are you ready for more?
Priya says, “There are exactly four points that are 3 units away from .” Lin says, “I
think there are a whole bunch of points that are 3 units away from .”

Do you agree with either of them? Explain your reasoning.

Lesson 14 Summary
The points , and are shown in the
plane. Notice that they all have almost the same coordinates, except the signs are
different. They are all the same distance from each axis but are in different quadrants.

Notice that the vertical distance between points and is 4 units, because point is 2
units above the horizontal axis and point is 2 units below the horizontal axis. The
horizontal distance between points and is 10 units, because point is 5 units to
the left of the vertical axis and point is 5 units to the right of the vertical axis.

Unit 7 Lesson 14 95
 We can always tell which quadrant a point is located in by the signs of its coordinates.

quadrant

positive positive I

negative positive II

negative negative III

positive negative IV

In general:

• If two points have -coordinates that are opposites (like 5 and -5), they are the same
distance away from the vertical axis, but one is to the left and the other to the right.

• If two points have -coordinates that are opposites (like 2 and -2), they are the same
distance away from the horizontal axis, but one is above and the other below.

When two points have the same value for the first or second coordinate, we can find the
distance between them by subtracting the coordinates that are different. For example,
consider and :

They have the same -coordinate. If we subtract the -coordinates, we get .

These points are 4 units apart.

96
 Lesson 14 Practice Problems
1. Here are 4 points on a coordinate plane.

a. Label each point with its coordinates.

b. Plot a point that is 3 units from point . Label it .

c. Plot a point that is 2 units from point . Label it .

2. Each set of points are connected to form a line segment. What is the length of each?

a. A = and B =

b. C = and D =

c. E = and F =

Unit 7 Lesson 14 Practice Problems 97

 3. On the coordinate plane, plot four points that are each 3 units away from point
. Write the coordinates of each point.

4. Noah’s recipe for sparkling orange juice uses 4 liters of orange juice and 5 liters of
soda water.

a. Noah prepares large batches of sparkling orange juice for school parties. He
usually knows the total number of liters, , that he needs to prepare. Write an
equation that shows how Noah can find , the number of liters of soda water, if
he knows .

b. Sometimes the school purchases a certain number, , of liters of orange juice

and Noah needs to figure out how much sparkling orange juice he can make.
Write an equation that Noah can use to find if he knows .

(From Unit 6, Lesson 16.)

5. For a suitcase to be checked on a flight (instead of carried by hand), it can weigh at

most 50 pounds. Andre’s suitcase weighs 23 kilograms. Can Andre check his suitcase?
Explain or show your reasoning. (Note: 10 kilograms 22 pounds)

(From Unit 3, Lesson 4.)

98
 Lesson 15: Shapes on the Coordinate Plane
Let’s use the coordinate plane to solve problems and puzzles.

15.1: Figuring Out The Coordinate Plane

1. Draw a figure in the coordinate plane with at least three of following properties:

◦ 6 vertices
◦ Exactly 1 pair of parallel sides
◦ At least 1 right angle
◦ 2 sides with the same length
2. Is your figure a polygon? Explain how you know.

Unit 7 Lesson 15 99
 15.2: Plotting Polygons
Here are the coordinates for four polygons. Plot them on the coordinate plane, connect
the points in the order that they are listed, and label each polygon with its letter name.

1. Polygon A:

2. Polygon B:

3. Polygon C:

4. Polygon D:

Are you ready for more?

Find the area of Polygon D in this activity.

100
 15.3: Four Quadrants of A-Maze-ing
1. The following diagram shows Andre’s route through a maze. He started from the
lower right entrance.

a. What are the

coordinates of the first
two and the last two
points of his route?

b. How far did he walk

from his starting point
to his ending point?
Show how you know.

2. Jada went into the maze and stopped at .

a. Plot that point and other points that would lead her out of the maze (through
the exit on the upper left side).

b. How far from must she walk to exit the maze? Show how you know.

Unit 7 Lesson 15 101

 Lesson 15 Summary
We can use coordinates to find lengths of segments in the coordinate plane.

For example, we can find the perimeter of this polygon by finding the sum of its side
lengths. Starting from and moving clockwise, we can see that the lengths of the
segments are 6, 3, 3, 3, 3, and 6 units. The perimeter is therefore 24 units.

In general:

• If two points have the same -coordinate, they will be on the same vertical line, and
we can find the distance between them.

• If two points have the same -coordinate, they will be on the same horizontal line,
and we can find the distance between them.

102
 Lesson 15 Practice Problems
1. The coordinates of a rectangle are , , and

a. What is the length and width of this rectangle?

b. What is the perimeter of the rectangle?

c. What is the area of the rectangle?

2. Draw a square with one vertex on the point and a perimeter of 20 units. Write
the coordinates of each other vertex.

Unit 7 Lesson 15 Practice Problems 103

 3. a. Plot and connect the following points to form a polygon.

b. Find the perimeter of the polygon.

4. For each situation, select all the equations that represent it. Choose one equation
and solve it.

a. Jada’s cat weighs 3.45 kg. Andre’s cat weighs 1.2 kg more than Jada’s cat. How
much does Andre’s cat weigh?

b. Apples cost $1.60 per pound at the farmer’s market. They cost 1.5 times as
much at the grocery store. How much do the apples cost per pound at the
grocery store?

(From Unit 6, Lesson 4.)

104
 Lesson 16: Common Factors
Let’s use factors to solve problems.

16.1: Figures Made of Squares

How are the pairs of figures alike? How are they different?

Unit 7 Lesson 16 105

 16.2: Diego’s Bake Sale
Diego is preparing brownies and cookies for a bake sale. He would like to make equal-size
bags for selling all of the 48 brownies and 64 cookies that he has. Organize your answer to
each question so that it can be followed by others.

1. How can Diego package all the 48 brownies so that each bag has the same number of
them? How many bags can he make, and how many brownies will be in each bag?
Find all the possible ways to package the brownies.

2. How can Diego package all the 64 cookies so that each bag has the same number of
them? How many bags can he make, and how many cookies will be in each bag?
Find all the possible ways to package the cookies.

3. How can Diego package all the 48 brownies and 64 cookies so that each bag has the
same combination of items? How many bags can he make, and how many of
each will be in each bag? Find all the possible ways to package both items.

4. What is the largest number of combination bags that Diego can make with no left
over? Explain to your partner how you know that it is the largest possible number of
bags.

106
 16.3: Greatest Common Factor
1. The greatest common factor of 30 and 18 is 6. What do you think the term “greatest
common factor” means?

2. Find all of the factors of 21 and 6. Then, identify the greatest common factor of 21
and 6.

3. Find all of the factors of 28 and 12. Then, identify the greatest common factor of 28
and 12.

4. A rectangular bulletin board is 12 inches tall and 27 inches wide. Elena plans to cover
it with squares of colored paper that are all the same size. The paper squares come
in different sizes; all of them have whole-number inches for their side lengths.

a. What is the side length of the largest square that Elena could use to cover the
bulletin board completely without gaps and overlaps? Explain or show your
reasoning.

b. How is the solution to this problem related to greatest common factor?

Unit 7 Lesson 16 107

 Are you ready for more?
A school has 1,000 lockers, all lined up in a hallway. Each locker is closed. Then . . .

• One student goes down the hall and opens each locker.
• A second student goes down the hall and closes every second locker: lockers 2, 4, 6,
and so on.
• A third student goes down the hall and changes every third locker. If a locker is open,
he closes it. If a locker is closed, he opens it.
• A fourth student goes down the hall and changes every fourth locker.
This process continues up to the thousandth student! At the end of the process, which
lockers will be open? (Hint: you may want to try this problem with a smaller number of
lockers first.)

108
 Lesson 16 Summary
A factor of a whole number is a whole number that divides evenly without a remainder.
For example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12 are all factors of 12 because each of them divides 12
evenly and without a remainder.

A common factor of two whole numbers is a factor that they have in common. For
example, 1, 3, 5, and 15 are factors of 45; they are also factors of 60. We call 1, 3, 5, and 15
common factors of 45 and 60.

The greatest common factor (sometimes written as GCF) of two whole numbers is the
greatest of all of the common factors. For example, 15 is the greatest common factor for
45 and 60.

One way to find the greatest common factor of two whole numbers is to list all of the
factors for each, and then look for the greatest factor they have in common. Let’s try to
find the greatest common factor of 18 and 24. First, we list all the factors of each number.

• Factors of 18: 1, 2, 3, 6, 9,18

• Factors of 24: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24
The common factors are 1, 2, 3, and 6. Of these, 6 is the greatest one, so 6 is the greatest
common factor of 18 and 24.

Glossary
• common factor
• greatest common factor

Unit 7 Lesson 16 109

 Lesson 16 Practice Problems
1. A teacher is making gift bags. Each bag is to be filled with pencils and stickers. The
teacher has 24 pencils and 36 stickers to use. Each bag will have the same number of
each item, with no items left over. For example, she could make 2 bags with 12
pencils and 18 stickers each.

What are the other possibilities? Explain or show your reasoning.

2. a. List all the factors of 42.

b. What is the greatest common factor of 42 and 15?

c. What is the greatest common factor of 42 and 50?

3. A school chorus has 90 sixth-grade students and 75 seventh-grade students. The

music director wants to make groups of performers, with the same combination of
sixth- and seventh-grade students in each group. She wants to form as many groups
as possible.

a. What is the largest number of groups that could be formed? Explain or show
your reasoning.

b. If that many groups are formed, how many students of each grade level would
be in each group?

110
 4. Here are some bank transactions from a bank account last week. Which transactions
represent negative values?

Monday: $650 paycheck deposited

Tuesday: $40 withdrawal from the ATM at the gas pump

Wednesday: $20 credit for returned merchandise

Thursday: $125 deducted for cell phone charges

Friday: $45 check written to pay for book order

Saturday: $80 withdrawal for weekend spending money

Sunday: $10 cash-back reward deposited from a credit card company

(From Unit 7, Lesson 13.)

5. Find the quotients.

a.

b.

c.

d.

(From Unit 4, Lesson 11.)

6. An elephant can travel at a constant speed of 25 miles per hour, while a giraffe can
travel at a constant speed of 16 miles in hour.

a. Which animal runs faster? Explain your reasoning.

b. How far can each animal run in 3 hours?

(From Unit 2, Lesson 9.)

Unit 7 Lesson 16 Practice Problems 111

 Lesson 17: Common Multiples
Let’s use multiples to solve problems.

17.1: Notice and Wonder: Multiples

Circle all the multiples of 4 in this list.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Circle all the multiples of 6 in this list.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

What do you notice? What do you wonder?

17.2: The Florist’s Order

A florist can order roses in bunches of 12 and lilies in bunches of 8. Last month she
ordered the same number of roses and lilies.

1. If she ordered no more than 100 of each kind of flower, how many bunches of each
could she have ordered? Find all the possible combinations.

2. What is the smallest number of bunches of roses that she could have ordered? What
about the smallest number of bunches of lilies? Explain your reasoning.

112
 17.3: Least Common Multiple
The least common multiple of 6 and 8 is 24.

1. What do you think the term “least common multiple” means?

2. Find all of the multiples of 10 and 8 that are less than 100. Find the least common
multiple of 10 and 8.

3. Find all of the multiples of 7 and 9 that are less than 100. Find the least common
multiple of 7 and 9.

Are you ready for more?

1. What is the least common multiple of 10 and 20?

2. What is the least common multiple of 4 and 24?

3. In the previous two questions, one number is a multiple of the other. What do you
notice about their least common multiple? Do you think this will always happen when
one number is a multiple of the other? Explain your reasoning.

Unit 7 Lesson 17 113

 17.4: Prizes on Grand Opening Day
Lin’s uncle is opening a bakery. On the bakery’s grand opening day, he plans to give away
prizes to the first 50 customers that enter the shop. Every fifth customer will get a free
bagel. Every ninth customer will get a free blueberry muffin. Every 12th customer will get a
free slice of carrot cake.

1. Diego is waiting in line and is the 23rd customer. He thinks that he should get farther
back in line in order to get a prize. Is he right? If so, how far back should he go to get
at least one prize? Explain your reasoning.

2. Jada is the 36th customer.

a. Will she get a prize? If so, what prize will she get?

b. Is it possible for her to get more than one prize? How do you know? Explain your
reasoning.

3. How many prizes total will Lin’s uncle give away? Explain your reasoning.

114
 Lesson 17 Summary
A multiple of a whole number is a product of that number with another whole number. For
example, 20 is a multiple of 4 because .

A common multiple for two whole numbers is a number that is a multiple of both
numbers. For example, 20 is a multiple of 2 and a multiple of 5, so 20 is a common
multiple of 2 and 5.

The least common multiple (sometimes written as LCM) of two whole numbers is the
smallest multiple they have in common. For example, 30 is the least common multiple of 6
and 10.

One way to find the least common multiple of two numbers is to list multiples of each in
order until we find the smallest multiple they have in common. Let's find the least
common multiple for 4 and 10. First, we list some multiples of each number.

• Multiples of 4: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44 . . .

• Multiples of 10: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, . . .
20 and 40 are both common multiples of 4 and 10 (as are 60, 80, . . . ), but 20 is the
smallest number that is on both lists, so 20 is the least common multiple.

Glossary
• common multiple
• least common multiple

Unit 7 Lesson 17 115

 Lesson 17 Practice Problems
1. a. A green light blinks every 4 seconds and a yellow light blinks every 5 seconds.
When will both lights blink at the same time?

b. A red light blinks every 12 seconds and a blue light blinks every 9 seconds.
When will both lights blink at the same time?

c. Explain how to determine when 2 lights blink together.

2. a. List all multiples of 10 up to 100.

b. List all multiples of 15 up to 100.

c. What is the least common multiple of 10 and 15?

3. Cups are sold in packages of 8. Napkins are sold in packages of 12.

a. What is the fewest number of packages of cups and the fewest number of
packages of napkins that can be purchased so there will be the same number of
cups as napkins?

b. How many sets of cups and napkins will there be?

116
 4. a. Plot and connect these points to form a polygon.

b. Find the lengths of the two horizontal sides of the polygon.

(From Unit 7, Lesson 15.)

5. Rectangle ABCD is drawn on a coordinate plane. A = and B = . What could

be the locations of points C and D?

(From Unit 7, Lesson 14.)

6. A school wants to raise $2,500 to support its music program.

a. If it has met 20% of its goal so far, how much money has it raised?

b. If it raises 175% of its goal, how much money will the music program receive?
Show your reasoning.

(From Unit 3, Lesson 14.)

Unit 7 Lesson 17 Practice Problems 117

 Lesson 18: Using Common Multiples and
Common Factors
Let’s use common factors and common multiple to solve problems.

18.1: Keeping a Steady Beat

Your teacher will give you instructions for playing a rhythm game. As you play the game,
think about these questions:

• When will the two sounds happen at the same time?

• How does this game relate to common factors or common multiples?

18.2: Factors and Multiples

Work with your partner to solve the following problems.

1. Party. Elena is buying cups and plates for her party. Cups are sold in packs of 8 and
plates are sold in packs of 6. She wants to have the same number of plates and cups.

a. Find a number of plates and cups that meets her requirement.

b. How many packs of each supply will she need to buy to get that number?

c. Name two other quantities of plates and cups she could get to meet her
requirement.

118
 2. Tiles. A restaurant owner is replacing the restaurant’s bathroom floor with square
tiles. The tiles will be laid side-by-side to cover the entire bathroom with no gaps, and
none of the tiles can be cut. The floor is a rectangle that measures 24 feet by 18 feet.

a. What is the largest possible tile size she could use? Write the side length in feet.
Explain how you know it’s the largest possible tile.

b. How many of these largest size tiles are needed?

c. Name more tile sizes that are whole number of feet that she could use to cover
the bathroom floor. Write the side lengths (in feet) of the square tiles.

3. Stickers. To celebrate the first day of spring, Lin is putting stickers on some of the 100
lockers along one side of her middle school’s hallway. She puts a skateboard sticker
on every 4th locker (starting with locker 4), and a kite sticker on every 5th locker
(starting with locker 5).

a. Name three lockers that will get both stickers.

b. After Lin makes her way down the hall, will the 30th locker have no stickers, 1
sticker, or 2 stickers? Explain how you know.

Unit 7 Lesson 18 119

 4. Kits. The school nurse is assembling first-aid kits for the teachers. She has 75
bandages and 90 throat lozenges. All the kits must have the same number of each
supply, and all supplies must be used.

a. What is the largest number of kits the nurse can make?

b. How many bandages and lozenges will be in each kit?

5. What kind of mathematical work was involved in each of the previous problems? Put
a checkmark to show what the questions were about.

finding finding least finding finding greatest

problem
multiples common multiple factors common factor

Party

Tiles

Stickers

Kits

120
 Are you ready for more?
You probably know how to draw a five-pointed star without lifting your pencil. One way to
do this is to start with five dots arranged in a circle, then connect every second dot.

If you try the same thing with six dots arranged in a circle, you will have to lift your pencil.
Once you make the first triangle, you’ll have to find an empty dot and start the process
over. Your six-pointed star has two pieces that are each drawn without lifting the pencil.

With twelve dots arranged in a circle, we can make some twelve-pointed stars.

1. Start with one dot and connect every second dot, as if

you were drawing a five-pointed star. Can you draw the
twelve-pointed star without lifting your pencil? If not,
how many pieces does the twelve-pointed star have?

2. This time, connect every third dot. Can you draw this
twelve-pointed star without lifting your pencil? If not,
how many pieces do you get?

Unit 7 Lesson 18 121

 3. What do you think will happen if you connect every
fourth dot? Try it. How many pieces do you get?

4. Do you think there is any way to draw a twelve-pointed

star without lifting your pencil? Try it out.

5. Now investigate eight-pointed stars, nine-pointed stars, and ten-pointed stars. What
patterns do you notice?

122
 18.3: More Factors and Multiples
Here are five more problems. Read and discuss each one with your group. Without solving,
predict whether each problem involves finding common multiples or finding common
factors. Circle one or more options to show your prediction.

1. Soccer. Diego and Andre are both in a summer soccer league. During the month of
August, Diego has a game every 3rd day, starting August 3rd, and Andre has a game
every 4th day, starting August 4th.

◦ common multiples ◦ common factors

◦ least common multiple ◦ greatest common factor
a. What is the first date that both boys will have a game?

b. How many of their games fall on the same date?

2. Performances. During a performing arts festival, students from elementary and

middle schools will be grouped together for various performances. There are 32
elementary students and 40 middle-school students. The arts director wants identical
groups for the performances, with students from both schools in each group. Each
student can be a part of only one group.

◦ common multiples ◦ common factors

◦ least common multiple ◦ greatest common factor
a. Name all possible groupings.

b. What is the largest number of groups that can be formed? How many
elementary school students and how many middle school students will be in
each group?

Unit 7 Lesson 18 123

 3. Lights. There is a string of holiday lights with red, gold, and blue lights. The red lights
are set to blink every 12 seconds, the gold lights are set to blink every 8 seconds, and
the blue lights are set to blink every 6 seconds. The lights are on an automatic timer
that starts each day at 7:00 p.m. and stops at midnight.

◦ common multiples ◦ common factors

◦ least common multiple ◦ greatest common factor
a. After how much time with all 3 lights blink at the exact same time?

b. How many times total will this happen in one day?

4. Banners. Noah has two pieces of cloth. He is making square banners for students to
hold during the opening day game. One piece of cloth is 72 inches wide. The other is
90 inches wide. He wants to use all the cloth, and each square banner must be of
equal width and as wide as possible.

◦ common multiples ◦ common factors

◦ least common multiple ◦ greatest common factor
a. How wide should he cut the banners?

b. How many banners can he cut?

5. Dancers. At Elena’s dance recital her performance begins with a line of 48 dancers
that perform in the dark with a black light that illuminates white clothing. All 48
dancers enter the stage in a straight line. Every 3rd dancer wears a white headband,
every 5th dancer wears a white belt, and every 9th dancer wears a set of white
gloves.

◦ common multiples ◦ common factors

◦ least common multiple ◦ greatest common factor
a. If Elena is the 30th dancer, what accessories will she wear?

b. Will any of the dancers wear all 3 accessories? If so, which one(s)?

c. How many of each accessory will the dance teacher need to order?

124
 6. Your teacher will assign your group a problem. Work with your group to solve the
problem. Show your reasoning. Pause here so your teacher can review your work.

7. Work with your group to create a visual display that includes a diagram, an equation,
and a math vocabulary word that would help to explain your mathematical thinking
while solving the problem.

8. Prepare a short presentation in which all group members are involved. Your
presentation should include: the problem (read aloud), your group's prediction of
what mathematical concept the problem involved, and an explanation of each step of
the solving process.

18.4: Factors and Multiples Bingo

Your teacher will explain the directions for a bingo game. Here are some things to keep in
mind:

• Share one bingo board and some bingo chips with a partner.
• To play the game, your teacher will read statements aloud. You may help one
another decide what numbers fit each statement, but speak only in a whisper. If the
teacher hears anything above a whisper, you are out.

• The first person to call bingo needs to call out each number and identify the
statement that it corresponds to. If there is an error in identifying statements, that
player is out and the round continues.

Good luck, and have fun!

Unit 7 Lesson 18 125

 Lesson 18 Summary
If a problem requires dividing two whole numbers by the same whole number, solving it
involves looking for a common factor. If it requires finding the largest number that can
divide into the two whole numbers, we are looking for the greatest common factor.

Suppose we have 12 bagels and 18 muffins and want to make bags so each bag has the
same combination of bagels and muffins. The common factors of 12 and 18 tell
us possible number of bags that can be made.

The common factors of 12 and 18 are 1, 2, 3, and 6. For these numbers of bags, here are
the number of bagels and muffins per bag.

• 1 bag: 12 bagels and 18 muffins

• 2 bags: 6 bagels and 9 muffins
• 3 bags: 4 bagels and 6 muffins
• 6 bags: 2 bagels and 3 muffins
We can see that the largest number of bags that can be made, 6, is the greatest common
factor.

If a problem requires finding a number that is a multiple of two given numbers, solving it
involves looking for a common multiple. If it requires finding the first instance the two
numbers share a multiple, we are looking for the least common multiple.

Suppose forks are sold in boxes of 9 and spoons are sold in boxes of 15, and we want to
buy an equal number of each. The multiples of 9 tell us how many forks we could buy, and
the multiples of 15 tell us how many spoons we could buy, as shown here.

• Forks: 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 90. . .

• Spoons: 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90. . .
If we want as many forks as spoons, our options are 45, 90, 135, and so on, but the
smallest number of utensils we could buy is 45, the least common multiple. This means
buying 5 boxes of forks ( ) and 3 boxes of spoons ( ).

126
 Lesson 18 Practice Problems
1. Mai, Clare, and Noah are making signs to advertise the school dance. It takes Mai 6
minutes to complete a sign, it takes Clare 8 minutes to complete a sign, and it takes
Noah 5 minutes to complete a sign. They keep working at the same rate for a half
hour.

a. Will Mai and Clare complete a sign at the same time? Explain your reasoning.

b. Will Mai and Noah complete a sign at the same time? Explain your reasoning.

c. Will Clare and Noah complete a sign at the same time? Explain your reasoning

d. Will all three students complete a sign at the same time? Explain your reasoning

2. Diego has 48 chocolate chip cookies, 64 vanilla cookies, and 100 raisin cookies for a
bake sale. He wants to make bags that have all three cookie flavors and the same
number of each flavor per bag.

a. How many bags can he make without having any cookies left over?

b. Find the another solution to this problem.

(From Unit 7, Lesson 16.)

Unit 7 Lesson 18 Practice Problems 127

 3. a. Find the product of 12 and 8.

b. Find the greatest common factor of 12 and 8.

c. Find the least common multiple of 12 and 8.

d. Find the product of the greatest common factor and the least common multiple
of 12 and 8.

e. What do you notice about the answers to question 1 and question 4?

f. Choose 2 other numbers and repeat the previous steps. Do you get the same
results?

4. a. Given the point , name a second point so that the two points form a
vertical segment. What is the length of the segment?

b. Given the point , name a second point so that the two points form a
horizontal segment. What is the length of the segment?

(From Unit 7, Lesson 11.)

5. Find the value of each expression mentally.

a.

b.

c.

(From Unit 6, Lesson 9.)

128
 Lesson 19: Drawing on the Coordinate Plane
• Let’s draw on the coordinate plane.
19.1: Cat Pictures
Use graphing technology to recreate this image. If graphing technology is not available, list
the ordered pairs that make up this image. Then compare your list with a partner.

If you have time, consider adding more details to your image such as whiskers, the inside
of the ears, a bow, or a body.

Unit 7 Lesson 19 129

 Are you ready for more?
If you are using graphing technology, add these statements to the list of things being
graphed:

Describe the result. Why do you think that happened?

19.2: Design Your Own Image

Use graphing technology to create an image of your own design. You could draw a
different animal, a vehicle, a building, or something else. Make sure your image includes at
least 4 points in each quadrant of the coordinate plane.

If graphing technology is not available, create your image on graph paper, and then list the
ordered pairs that make up your image. Trade lists with a partner but do not show them
your image. Graph your partner’s ordered pairs and see if your images match.

130
 Learning Targets
Lesson 1: Positive and Negative Numbers
• I can explain what 0, positive numbers, and negative numbers mean in the context of
temperature and elevation.

• I can use positive and negative numbers to describe temperature and elevation.
• I know what positive and negative numbers are.
Lesson 2: Points on the Number Line
• I can determine or approximate the value of any point on a number line.
• I can represent negative numbers on a number line.
• I understand what it means for numbers to be opposites.
Lesson 3: Comparing Positive and Negative Numbers
• I can explain how to use the positions of numbers on a number line to compare
them.

• I can explain what a rational number is.

• I can use inequalities to compare positive and negative numbers.
Lesson 4: Ordering Rational Numbers
• I can compare and order rational numbers.
• I can use phrases like “greater than,” “less than,” and “opposite” to compare rational
numbers.

Lesson 5: Using Negative Numbers to Make Sense of Contexts

• I can explain and use negative numbers in situations involving money.
• I can interpret and use negative numbers in different contexts.

Unit 7 Learning Targets 131

 Lesson 6: Absolute Value of Numbers
• I can explain what the absolute value of a number is.
• I can find the absolute values of rational numbers.
• I can recognize and use the notation for absolute value.
Lesson 7: Comparing Numbers and Distance from Zero
• I can explain what absolute value means in situations involving elevation.
• I can use absolute values to describe elevations.
• I can use inequalities to compare rational numbers and the absolute values of
rational numbers.

Lesson 8: Writing and Graphing Inequalities

• I can graph inequalities on a number line.
• I can write an inequality to represent a situation.
Lesson 9: Solutions of Inequalities
• I can determine if a particular number is a solution to an inequality.
• I can explain what it means for a number to be a solution to an inequality.
• I can graph the solutions to an inequality on a number line.
Lesson 10: Interpreting Inequalities
• I can explain what the solution to an inequality means in a situation.
• I can write inequalities that involves more than one variable.
Lesson 11: Points on the Coordinate Plane
• I can describe a coordinate plane that has four quadrants.
• I can plot points with negative coordinates in the coordinate plane.
• I know what negative numbers in coordinates tell us.
Lesson 12: Constructing the Coordinate Plane
• When given points to plot, I can construct a coordinate plane with an appropriate
scale and pair of axes.

132
 Lesson 13: Interpreting Points on a Coordinate Plane
• I can explain how rational numbers represent balances in a money context.
• I can explain what points in a four-quadrant coordinate plane represent in a
situation.

• I can plot points in a four-quadrant coordinate plane to represent situations and

solve problems.

Lesson 14: Distances on a Coordinate Plane

• I can find horizontal and vertical distances between points on the coordinate plane.
Lesson 15: Shapes on the Coordinate Plane
• I can find the lengths of horizontal and vertical segments in the coordinate plane.
• I can plot polygons on the coordinate plane when I have the coordinates for the
vertices.

Lesson 16: Common Factors

• I can explain what a common factor is.
• I can explain what the greatest common factor is.
• I can find the greatest common factor of two whole numbers.
Lesson 17: Common Multiples
• I can explain what a common multiple is.
• I can explain what the least common multiple is.
• I can find the least common multiple of two whole numbers.
Lesson 18: Using Common Multiples and Common Factors
• I can solve problems using common factors and multiples.
Lesson 19: Drawing on the Coordinate Plane
• I can use ordered pairs to draw a picture.

Unit 7 Learning Targets 133

134
GRADE 6

8
Unit

STUDENT WORKBOOK
Book 3
 Lesson 1: Got Data?
Let's explore different kinds of data.

1.1: Dots of Data

Here is a dot plot for a data set.

1. Determine if each of the following would be an appropriate label to represent the

data in the dot plot? Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

a. Number of children per class.

b. Distance between home and school, in miles.

c. Hours spent watching TV each day.

d. Weight of elephants, in pounds.

e. Points received on a homework assignment.

2. Think of another label that can be used with the dot plot.

a. Write it below the scale of the dot plot. Be sure to include the unit of
measurement.

b. In your scenario, what does one dot represent?

c. In your scenario, what would a data point of 0 mean? What would a data point
of mean?

136
 1.2: Surveying the Class
Here are some survey questions. Your teacher will explain which questions can be used to
learn more about the students in your class and how the responses will be collected. The
data that your class collects will be used in upcoming activities.

1. How long does it usually take you to travel to school? Answer to the nearest minute.

2. How do you travel to school on most days? Choose one.

◦ Walk ◦ Car ◦ Public transport

◦ Bike ◦ School bus ◦ Other
◦ Scooter or skateboard

3. How tall are you without your shoes on? Answer to the nearest centimeter.

4. What is the length of your right foot without your shoe on? Answer to the nearest
centimeter.

5. What is your arm span? Stretch your arms open, and measure the distance from the
tip of your right hand’s middle finger to the tip of your left hand’s middle finger,
across your back. Answer to the nearest centimeter.

6. How important are the following issues to you? Rate each on a scale from 0 (not
important) to 10 (very important).

a. Reducing pollution

b. Recycling

c. Conserving water

7. Do you have any siblings? _____ Yes _____ No

Unit 8 Lesson 1 137

 8. How many hours of sleep per night do you usually get when you have school the next
day? Answer to the nearest half hour.

9. How many hours of sleep per night do you usually get when you do not have school
the next day? Answer to the nearest half hour.

10. Other than traveling from school, what do you do right after school on most days?

◦ Have a snack ◦ Practice a sport

◦ Do homework ◦ Do chores
◦ Read a book ◦ Use the computer
◦ Talk on the phone ◦ Participate in an extracurricular activity

11. If you could meet one of these celebrities, who would you choose?

◦ A city or state leader ◦ A musical artist

◦ A champion athlete ◦ A best-selling author
◦ A movie star

12. Estimate how much time per week you usually spend on each of these activities.
Answer to the nearest quarter of an hour.

a. Playing sports or doing outdoor activities

b. Using a screen for fun (watching TV, playing computer games, etc.)

c. Doing homework

d. Reading

138
 1.3: Numerical and Categorical Data
The list of survey questions in the activity earlier can help you complete these exercises.

1. The first survey question about travel time produces numerical data. Identify two
other questions that produce numerical data. For each, describe what was measured
and its unit of measurement.

a. Question #: ______ What was measured:

Unit of measurement:

b. Question #: ______ What was measured:

Unit of measurement:

2. The second survey question about travel method produces categorical data. Identify
two other questions that produce categorical data. For each, describe what
characteristic or feature was being studied.

a. Question #: ______ Characteristic being studied:

b. Question #: ______ Characteristic being studied:

3. Think about the responses to these survey questions. Do they produce numerical or
categorical data? Be prepared to explain how you know.

a. How many pets do you have?

b. How many years have you lived in this state?

c. What is your favorite band?

d. What kind of music do you like best?

e. What is the area code of your school’s phone number?

f. Where were you born?

g. How much does your backpack weigh?

Unit 8 Lesson 1 139

 4. Name two characteristics you could investigate to learn more about your classmates.
Make sure one would give categorical data and the other would give numerical data.

Are you ready for more?

Priya and Han collected data on the birth months of students in their class. Here are the
lists of their records for the same group of students.

This list shows Priya’s records.

Jan Apr Jan Feb Oct May June July

Aug Aug Sep Jan Feb Mar Apr Nov

Nov Dec Feb Mar

This list shows Han’s records.

1 4 1 2 10 5 6 7

8 8 9 1 2 3 4 11

11 12 2 3

1. How are their records alike? How are they different?

2. What kind of data—categorical or numerical—do you think the variable “birth month”
produces? Explain how you know.

140
 Lesson 1 Summary
The table contains data about 10 dogs.

dog name weight (kg) breed

Duke 36 German shepherd

Coco 6 pug

Pierre 7 pug

Ginger 35 German shepherd

Lucky 10 beagle

Daisy 10 beagle

Buster 35 German shepherd

Pepper 7 pug

Rocky 7 beagle

Lady 32 German shepherd

• The weights of the dogs are an example of numerical data, which is data that are
numbers, quantities, or measurements. The weights of the dogs are measurements
in kilograms.

• The dog breeds are an example of categorical data, which is data containing values
that can be sorted into categories. In this case, there are three categories for dog
breeds: pug, beagle, and German shepherd.

Some data with numbers are categorical because the numbers are not quantities or
measurements. For example, telephone area codes are categorical data, because the
numbers are labels rather than quantities or measurements.

Unit 8 Lesson 1 141

 Numerical data can be represented with a dot plot (sometimes called a line plot). Here is a
dot plot that shows the weights of the dogs.

We can collect and study both kinds of data by doing surveys or taking measurements.
When we do, it is important to think about what feature we are studying (for example,
breeds of dogs or weights of dogs) and what units of measurement are used.

Glossary
• categorical data
• dot plot
• numerical data

142
 Lesson 1 Practice Problems
1. Tyler asked 10 students at his school how much time in minutes it takes them to get
from home to school. Determine if each of these dot plots could represent the data
Tyler collected. Explain your reasoning for each dot plot.

Unit 8 Lesson 1 Practice Problems 143

 2. Here is a list of questions. For each question, decide if the responses will
produce numerical data or categorical data and give two possible responses.

a. What is your favorite breakfast food?

b. How did you get to school this morning?

c. How many different teachers do you have?

d. What is the last thing you ate or drank?

e. How many minutes did it take you to get ready this morning—from waking up
to leaving for school?

3. a. Write two questions that you could ask the students in your class that would
result in categorical data. For each question, explain how you know that
responses to it would produce categorical data.

b. Write two questions that you could ask the students in your class that would
result in numerical data. For each question, explain how you know that
responses to it would produce numerical data.

144
 4. Triangle has vertices , and .

a. Plot the triangle in the coordinate plane and label the vertices.

b. Name the coordinates of 3 points that are inside the triangle.

c. What is the area of the triangle? Show your reasoning.

(From Unit 7, Lesson 15.)

Unit 8 Lesson 1 Practice Problems 145

 Lesson 2: Statistical Questions
Let's look more closely at data and the questions they can help to answer.

2.1: Pencils on A Plot

1. Measure your pencil to the nearest -inch. Then, plot your measurement on the
class dot plot.

2. What is the difference between the longest and shortest pencil lengths in the class?

3. What is the most common pencil length?

4. Find the difference in lengths between the most common length and the shortest
pencil.

146
 2.2: What’s in the Data?
Ten sixth-grade students at a school were each asked five survey questions. Their answers
to each question are shown here.

data set A 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 2 1 1

data set B 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

data set C 6 5 7 6 4 5 3 4 6 8

data set D 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

data set E 3 7 9 11 6 4 2 16 6 10

1. Here are the five survey questions. Match each question to a data set that could
represent the students’ answers. Explain your reasoning.

◦ Question 1: Flip a coin 10 times. How many heads did you get?

◦ Question 2: How many books did you read in the last year?

◦ Question 3: What grade are you in?

◦ Question 4: How many dogs and cats do you have?

◦ Question 5: How many inches are in 1 foot?

2. How are survey questions 3 and 5 different from the other questions?

Unit 8 Lesson 2 147

 2.3: What Makes a Statistical Question?
These three questions are examples of These three questions are not examples of
statistical questions: statistical questions:

• What is the most common color of the • What color is the principal’s car?
cars in the school parking lot?
• Does Elena have a cell phone?
• What percentage of students in the
school have a cell phone? • What kind of literature—fiction or
nonfiction—does Diego prefer?
• Which kind of literature—fiction or
nonfiction—is more popular among
students in the school?

1. Study the examples and non-examples. Discuss with your partner:

a. How are the three statistical questions alike? What do they have in common?

b. How are the three non-statistical questions alike? What do they have in
common?

c. How can you find answers to the statistical questions? How about answers to
non-statistical questions?

d. What makes a question a statistical question?

Pause here for a class discussion.

148
 2. Read each question. Think about the data you might collect to answer it and whether
you expect to see variability in the data. Complete each blank with “Yes” or “No.”

a. How many cups of water do my classmates drink each day?

▪ Is variability expected in the data? ______

▪ Is the question statistical? _____
b. Where in town does our math teacher live?

▪ Is variability expected in the data? ______

▪ Is the question statistical? _____
c. How many minutes does it take students in my class to get ready for school in
the morning?

▪ Is variability expected in the data? ______

▪ Is the question statistical? _____
d. How many minutes of recess do sixth-grade students have each day?

▪ Is variability expected in the data? ______

▪ Is the question statistical? _____
e. Do all students in my class know what month it is?

▪ Is variability expected in the data? ______

▪ Is the question statistical? _____

Unit 8 Lesson 2 149

 2.4: Sifting for Statistical Questions
1. Your teacher will give you and your partner a set of cards with questions. Sort them
into three piles: Statistical Questions, Not Statistical Questions, and Unsure.

2. Compare your sorting decisions with another group of students. Start by discussing
the two piles that your group sorted into the Statistical Questions and Not Statistical
Questions piles. Then, review the cards in the Unsure pile. Discuss the questions until
both groups reach an agreement and have no cards left in the Unsure pile. If you get
stuck, think about whether the question could be answered by collecting data and if
there would be variability in that data.

3. Record the letter names of the questions in each pile.

◦ Statistical questions: ◦ Non-statistical questions:

Are you ready for more?

Tyler and Han are discussing the question, “Which sixth-grade student lives the farthest
from school?”

• Tyler says, “I don’t think the question is a statistical question. There is only one
person who lives the farthest from school, so there would not be variability in the
data we collect.”
• Han says: “I think it is a statistical question. To answer the question, we wouldn’t
actually be asking everyone, 'Which student lives the farthest from school?' We would
have to ask each student how far away from school they live, and we can expect their
responses to have variability.”

Do you agree with either one of them? Explain your reasoning.

150
 Lesson 2 Summary
We often collect data to answer questions about something. The data we collect may show
variability, which means the data values are not all the same.

Some data sets have more variability than others. Here are two sets of figures.

Set A has more figures with the same shape, color, or size. Set B shows more figures with
different shapes, colors, or sizes, so set B has greater variability than set A.

Both numerical and categorical data can show variability. Numerical sets can contain
different numbers, and categorical sets can contain different categories or types.

When a question can only be answered by using data and we expect that data to have
variability, we call it a statistical question. Here are some examples.

• Who is the most popular musical artist at your school?

• When do students in your class typically eat dinner?
• Which classroom in your school has the most books?
To answer the question about books, we may need to count all of the books in each
classroom of a school. The data we collect would likely show variability because we would
expect each classroom to have a different number of books.

In contrast, the question “How many books are in your classroom?” is not a statistical
question. If we collect data to answer the question (for example, by asking everyone in the
class to count books), the data can be expected to show the same value. Likewise, if we ask
all of the students at a school where they go to school, that question is not a statistical
question because the responses will all be the same.

Glossary
• statistical question
• variability

Unit 8 Lesson 2 151

 Lesson 2 Practice Problems
1. Sixth-grade students were asked, “What grade are you in?” Explain why this is not a
statistical question.

2. Lin and her friends went out for ice cream after school. The following questions came
up during their trip. Select all the questions that are statistical questions.

A. How far are we from the ice cream shop?

B. What is the most popular ice cream flavor this week?

C. What does a group of 4 people typically spend on ice cream at this shop?

D. Do kids usually prefer to get a cup or a cone?

E. How many toppings are there to choose from?

3. Here is a list of questions about the students and teachers at a school. Select all the
questions that are statistical questions.

A. What is the most popular lunch choice?

B. What school do these students attend?

C. How many math teachers are in the school?

D. What is a common age for the teachers at the school?

E. About how many hours of sleep do students generally get on a school night?

F. How do students usually travel from home to school?

152
 4. Here is a list of statistical questions. What data would you collect and analyze to
answer each question? For numerical data, include the unit of measurement that you
would use.

a. What is a typical height of female athletes on a team in the most recent

international sporting event?

b. Are most adults in the school football fans?

c. How long do drivers generally need to wait at a red light in Washington, DC?

5. Describe the scale you would use on the coordinate plane to plot each set of points.
What value would you assign to each unit of the grid?

a. , , ,

b. , , ,

c.

(From Unit 7, Lesson 13.)

Unit 8 Lesson 2 Practice Problems 153

 6. Noah’s water bottle contains more than 1 quart of water but less than quarts. Let
be the amount of water in Noah’s bottle, in quarts. Select all the true statements.

A. could be .

B. could be 1.

C.

D. could be .

E. could be .

F. could be .

G.

(From Unit 7, Lesson 9.)

7. Order these numbers from least to greatest:

-18 20

(From Unit 7, Lesson 7.)

154
 Lesson 3: Representing Data Graphically
Let’s represent data with dot plots and bar graphs.

3.1: Curious about Caps

Clare collects bottle caps and keeps them in plastic containers.

Write one statistical question that someone could ask Clare about her collection. Be
prepared to explain your reasoning.

3.2: Estimating Caps

1. Write down the statistical question your class is trying to answer.

2. Look at the dot plot that shows the data from your class. Write down one thing you
notice and one thing you wonder about the dot plot.

3. Use the dot plot to answer the statistical question. Be prepared to explain your
reasoning.

Unit 8 Lesson 3 155

 3.3: Been There, Done That!
Priya wants to know if basketball players on a men’s team and a women’s team have had
prior experience in international competitions. She gathered data on the number of times
the players were on a team before 2016.

men's team

3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

women's team

2 3 3 1 0 2 0 1 1 0 3 1

1. Did Priya collect categorical or numerical data?

2. Organize the information on the two basketball teams into these tables.

Men’s Basketball Team Players Women’s Basketball Team Players

number of prior frequency number of prior frequency

competitions (number) competitions (number)

0 0

1 1

2 2

3 3

4 4

156
 3. Make a dot plot for each table.

Men’s Basketball Team Players Women’s Basketball Team Players

4. Study your dot plots. What do they tell you about the competition participation of:

a. the players on the men’s basketball team?

b. the players on the women’s basketball team?

5. Explain why a dot plot is an appropriate representation for Priya’s data.

Are you ready for more?

Combine the data for the players on the men’s and women’s teams and represent it as a
single dot plot. What can you say about the repeat participation of the basketball players?

Unit 8 Lesson 3 157

 3.4: Favorite Summer Sports
Kiran wants to know which three summer sports are most popular in his class. He
surveyed his classmates on their favorite summer sport. Here are their responses.

swimming gymnastics track and field volleyball

swimming swimming diving track and field

gymnastics basketball basketball volleyball

track and field track and field volleyball gymnastics

diving gymnastics volleyball rowing

track and field track and field soccer swimming

gymnastics track and field swimming rowing

diving soccer

1. Did Kiran collect categorical or numerical data?

2. Organize the responses in a table to help him find which summer sports are most
popular in his class.

sport frequency

158
 3. Represent the information in the table as a bar graph.

4. a. How can you use the bar graph to find how many classmates Kiran surveyed?

b. Which three summer sports are most popular in Kiran’s class?

c. Use your bar graph to describe at least one observation about Kiran’s
classmates’ preferred summer sports.

5. Could a dot plot be used to represent Kiran’s data? Explain your reasoning.

Unit 8 Lesson 3 159

 Lesson 3 Summary
When we analyze data, we are often interested in the distribution, which is information
that shows all the data values and how often they occur.

In a previous lesson, we saw data about 10 dogs. We can see the distribution of the dog
weights in a table such as this one.

weight in kilograms frequency

6 1

7 3

10 2

32 1

35 2

36 1

The term frequency refers to the number of times a data value occurs. In this case, we see
that there are three dogs that weigh 7 kilograms, so “3” is the frequency for the value “7
kilograms.”

Recall that dot plots are often used to to represent numerical data. Like a frequency table,
a dot plot also shows the distribution of a data set. This dot plot, which you saw in an
earlier lesson, shows the distribution of dog weights.

A dot plot uses a horizontal number line. We show the frequency of a value by the number
of dots drawn above that value. Here, the two dots above the number 35 tell us that there
are two dogs weighing 35 kilograms.

160
 The distribution of categorical data can also be shown in a table. This table shows the
distribution of dog breeds.

breed frequency

pug 9

beagle 9

German shepherd 12

We often represent the distribution of categorical data using a bar graph.

A bar graph also uses a horizontal line. Above it we draw a rectangle (or “bar”) to represent
each category in the data set. The height of a bar tells us the frequency of the category.
There are 12 German shepherds in the data set, so the bar for this category is 12 units
tall. Below the line we write the labels for the categories.

In a dot plot, a data value is placed according to its position on the number line. A weight
of 10 kilograms must be shown as a dot above 10 on the number line.

In a bar graph, however, the categories can be listed in any order. The bar that shows the
frequency of pugs can be placed anywhere along the horizontal line.

Glossary
• distribution
• frequency

Unit 8 Lesson 3 161

 Lesson 3 Practice Problems
1. A teacher drew a line segment that was 20 inches long on the blackboard. She
asked each of her students to estimate the length of the segment and used their
estimates to draw this dot plot.

a. How many students were in the class?

b. Were students generally accurate in their estimates of the length of the line?
Explain your reasoning.

2. Here are descriptions of data sets. Select all descriptions of data sets that could be
graphed as dot plots.

A. Class size for the classes at an elementary school

B. Colors of cars in a parking lot

C. Favorite sport of each student in a sixth-grade class

D. Birth weights for the babies born during October at a hospital

E. Number of goals scored in each of 20 games played by a school soccer team

3. Priya recorded the number of attempts it took each of 12 of her classmates to

successfully throw a ball into a basket. Make a dot plot of Priya’s data.

1 2 1 3 1 4 4 3 1 2 5 2

162
 4. Solve each equation.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

(From Unit 6, Lesson 4.)

5. Find the quotients.

a.

b.

c.

d.

(From Unit 4, Lesson 11.)

6. Find the area of each triangle.

(From Unit 1, Lesson 9.)

Unit 8 Lesson 3 Practice Problems 163

 Lesson 4: Dot Plots
Let's investigate what dot plots and bar graphs can tell us.

4.1: Pizza Toppings (Part 1)

Fifteen customers in a pizza shop were asked, “How many toppings did you add to your
cheese pizza?” Here are their responses:

1 2 1 3 0 1 1 2

0 3 0 0 1 2 2

1. Could you use a dot plot to represent the data? Explain your reasoning.

2. Complete the table.

number of toppings frequency (number)

164
 4.2: Pizza Toppings (Part 2)
1. Use the tables from the warm-up to display the number of toppings as a dot plot.
Label your drawing clearly.

2. Use your dot plot to study the distribution for number of toppings. What do you
notice about the number of toppings that this group of customers ordered? Write 2–3
sentences summarizing your observations.

Are you ready for more?

Think of a statistical question that can be answered with the data about the number of
toppings ordered, as displayed on the dot plot. Then answer this question.

Unit 8 Lesson 4 165

 4.3: Homework Time
Twenty-five sixth-grade students answered the
question: “How many hours do you generally spend
on homework each week?”

This dot plot shows the number of hours per week

that these 25 students reported spending on
homework.

Use the dot plot to answer the following questions. For each, show or explain your
reasoning.

1. What percentage of the students reported spending 1 hour on homework each

week?

2. What percentage of the students reported spending 4 or fewer hours on homework

each week?

3. Would 6 hours per week be a good description of the number of hours this group of
students spends on homework per week? What about 1 hour per week? Explain your
reasoning.

4. What value do you think would be a good description of the homework time of the
students in this group? Explain your reasoning.

5. Someone said, “In general, these students spend roughly the same number of hours
doing homework.” Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.

166
 Lesson 4 Summary
We often collect and analyze data because we are interested in learning what is “typical,”
or what is common and can be expected in a group.

Sometimes it is easy to tell what a typical member of the group is. For example, we can say
that a typical shape in this set is a large circle.

Just looking at the members of a group doesn’t always tell us what is typical, however. For
example, if we are interested in the side length typical of squares in this set, it isn’t easy to
do so just by studying the set visually.

In a situation like this, it is helpful to gather the side lengths of the squares in the set and
look at their distribution, as shown in this dot plot.

We can see that many of the data points are between 2 and 4, so we could say that side
lengths between 2 and 4 centimeters or close to these lengths are typical of squares in this
set.

Unit 8 Lesson 4 167

 Lesson 4 Practice Problems
1. Clare recorded the amounts of time spent doing homework, in hours per week,
by students in sixth, eighth, and tenth grades. She made a dot plot of the data
for each grade and provided the following summary.

◦ Students in sixth grade tend to spend less time on homework than students in
eighth and tenth grades.
◦ The homework times for the tenth-grade students are more alike than the
homework times for the eighth-grade students.

Use Clare's summary to match each dot plot to the correct grade (sixth, eighth, or
tenth).

2. Mai played 10 basketball games. She recorded the number of points she scored and
made a dot plot. Mai said that she scored between 8 and 14 points in most of the 10
games, but one game was exceptional. During that game she scored more than
double her typical score of 9 points. Use the number line to make a dot plot that fits
the description Mai gave.

168
 3. A movie theater is showing three different movies. The dot plots represent the ages
of the people who were at the Saturday afternoon showing of each of these movies.

a. One of these movies was an animated movie rated G for general audiences. Do
you think it was movie A, B, or C? Explain your reasoning.

b. Which movie has a dot plot with ages that that center at about 30 years?

c. What is a typical age for the people who were at Movie A?

4. Find the value of each expression.

a.

b.

c.

d.

(From Unit 5, Lesson 13.)

Unit 8 Lesson 4 Practice Problems 169

 Lesson 5: Using Dot Plots to Answer Statistical
Questions
Let's use dot plots to describe distributions and answer questions.

5.1: Packs on Backs

This dot plot shows the weights of backpacks, in kilograms, of 50 sixth-grade students at a
school in New Zealand.

1. The dot plot shows several dots at 0 kilograms. What could a value of 0 mean in this
context?

2. Clare and Tyler studied the dot plot.

◦ Clare said, “I think we can use 3 kilograms to describe a typical backpack weight
of the group because it represents 20%—or the largest portion—of the data.”

◦ Tyler disagreed and said, “I think 3 kilograms is too low to describe a typical
weight. Half of the dots are for backpacks that are heavier than 3 kilograms, so I
would use a larger value.”

Do you agree with either of them? Explain your reasoning.

170
 5.2: On the Phone
Twenty-five sixth-grade students were asked to estimate how many hours a week they
spend talking on the phone. This dot plot represents their reported number of hours of
phone usage per week.

1. a. How many of the students reported not talking on the phone during the week?
Explain how you know.

b. What percentage of the students reported not talking on the phone?

2. a. What is the largest number of hours a student spent talking on the phone per
week?

b. What percentage of the group reported talking on the phone for this amount of
time?

3. a. How many hours would you say that these students typically spend talking on
the phone?

b. How many minutes per day would that be?

Unit 8 Lesson 5 171

 4. a. How would you describe the spread of the data? Would you consider these
students’ amounts of time on the phone to be alike or different? Explain your
reasoning.

b. Here is the dot plot from an earlier activity. It shows the number of hours per
week the same group of 25 sixth-grade students reported spending on
homework.

Overall, are these students more alike in the amount of time they spend talking
on the phone or in the amount of time they spend on homework? Explain your
reasoning.

5. Suppose someone claimed that these sixth-grade students spend too much time on
the phone. Do you agree? Use your analysis of the dot plot to support your answer.

172
 5.3: Click-Clack
1. A keyboarding teacher wondered: “Do typing speeds of students improve after taking
a keyboarding course?” Explain why her question is a statistical question.

2. The teacher recorded the number of words that her students could type per minute
at the beginning of a course and again at the end. The two dot plots show the two
data sets.

Based on the dot plots, do you agree with each of the following statements about this
group of students? Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

a. Overall, the students’ typing speed did not improve. They typed at the same
speed at the end of the course as they did at the beginning.

b. 20 words per minute is a good estimate for how fast, in general, the students
typed at the beginning of the course.

c. 20 words per minute is a good description of the center of the data set at the
end of the course.

d. There was more variability in the typing speeds at the beginning of the course
than at the end, so the students’ typing speeds were more alike at the end.

Unit 8 Lesson 5 173

 3. Overall, how fast would you say that the students typed after completing the course?
What would you consider the center of the end-of-course data?

Are you ready for more?

Use one of these suggestions (or make up your own). Research to create a dot plot with at
least 10 values. Then, describe the center and spread of the distribution.

• Points scored by your favorite sports team in its last 10 games

• Length of your 10 favorite movies (in minutes)
• Ages of your favorite 10 celebrities

174
 Lesson 5 Summary
One way to describe what is typical or characteristic for a data set is by looking at the
center and spread of its distribution.

Let’s compare the distribution of cat weights and dog weights shown on these dot plots.

The collection of points for the cat data is further to the left on the number line than the
dog data. Based on the dot plots, we may describe the center of the distribution for cat
weights to be between 4 and 5 kilograms and the center for dog weights to be between 7
and 8 kilograms.

We often say that values at or near the center of a distribution are typical for that group.
This means that a weight of 4–5 kilograms is typical for a cat in the data set, and weight of
7–8 kilograms is typical for a dog.

We also see that the dog weights are more spread out than the cat weights. The difference
between the heaviest and lightest cats is only 4 kilograms, but the difference between the
heaviest and lightest dogs is 6 kilograms.

A distribution with greater spread tells us that the data have greater variability. In this
case, we could say that the cats are more similar in their weights than the dogs.

In future lessons, we will discuss how to measure the center and spread of a distribution.

Glossary
• center
• spread

Unit 8 Lesson 5 175

 Lesson 5 Practice Problems
1. Three sets of data about ten sixth-grade students were used to make three dot plots.
The person who made these dot plots forgot to label them. Match each dot plot with
the appropriate label.

A. Dot Plot A 1. Ages in years

B. Dot Plot B 2. Numbers of hours of sleep on nights

before school days
C. Dot Plot C
3. Numbers of hours of sleep on nights
before non-school days

176
 2. The dot plots show the time it takes to get to school for ten sixth-grade students from
the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

a. List the countries in order of typical travel times, from shortest to longest.

b. List the countries in order of variability in travel times, from the least variability to
the greatest.

Unit 8 Lesson 5 Practice Problems 177

 3. Twenty-five students were asked to rate—on a scale of 0 to 10—how important it is
to reduce pollution. A rating of 0 means “not at all important” and a rating of 10
means “very important.” Here is a dot plot of their responses.

Explain why a rating of 6 is not a good description of the center of this data set.

4. Tyler wants to buy some cherries at the farmer’s market. He has $10 and cherries
cost $4 per pound.

a. If is the number of pounds of cherries that Tyler can buy, write one or more
inequalities or equations describing .

b. Can 2 be a value of ? Can 3 be a value of ? What about -1? Explain your

reasoning.

c. If is the amount of money, in dollars, Tyler can spend, write one or

more inequalities or equations describing .

d. Can 8 be a value of ? Can 2 be a value of ? What about 10.5? Explain your

reasoning.

(From Unit 7, Lesson 10.)

178
 Lesson 6: Interpreting Histograms
Let's explore how histograms represent data sets.

6.1: Dog Show (Part 1)

Here is a dot plot showing the weights, in pounds, of 40 dogs at a dog show.

1. Write two statistical questions that can be answered using the dot plot.

2. What would you consider a typical weight for a dog at this dog show? Explain your
reasoning.

Unit 8 Lesson 6 179

 6.2: Dog Show (Part 2)
Here is a histogram that shows some dog weights in pounds.

Each bar includes the left-end value but not the right-end value. For example, the first bar
includes dogs that weigh 60 pounds and 68 pounds but not 80 pounds.

1. Use the histogram to answer the following questions.

a. How many dogs weigh at least 100 pounds?

b. How many dogs weigh exactly 70 pounds?

c. How many dogs weigh at least 120 and less than 160 pounds?

d. How much does the heaviest dog at the show weigh?

e. What would you consider a typical weight for a dog at this dog show? Explain
your reasoning.

2. Discuss with a partner:

◦ If you used the dot plot to answer the same five questions you just answered,
how would your answers be different?

◦ How are the histogram and the dot plot alike? How are they different?

180
 6.3: Population of States
Every ten years, the United States conducts a census, which is an effort to count the entire
population. The dot plot shows the population data from the 2010 census for each of the
fifty states and the District of Columbia (DC).

1. Here are some statistical questions about the population of the fifty states and DC.
How difficult would it be to answer the questions using the dot plot?

In the middle column, rate each question with an E (easy to answer), H (hard to
answer), or I (impossible to answer). Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

statistical question using the dot plot using the histogram

a. How many states have

populations greater than 15 million?

b. Which states have populations

greater than 15 million?

c. How many states have

populations less than 5 million?

d. What is a typical state population?

e. Are there more states with fewer

than 5 million people or more states
with between 5 and 10 million
people?

f. How would you describe the

distribution of state populations?

Unit 8 Lesson 6 181

 2. Here are the population data for all states and the District of Columbia from the 2010
census. Use the information to complete the table.

population (millions) frequency

0–5

5–10

10–15

15–20

20–25

25–30

30–35

35–40

182
 3. Use the grid and the information in your table to create a histogram.

4. Return to the statistical questions at the beginning of the activity. Which ones are
now easier to answer?

In the last column of the table, rate each question with an E (easy), H (hard), and I
(impossible) based on how difficult it is to answer them. Be prepared to explain your
reasoning.

Are you ready for more?

Think of two more statistical questions that can be answered using the data about
populations of states. Then, decide whether each question can be answered using the dot
plot, the histogram, or both.

Unit 8 Lesson 6 183

 Lesson 6 Summary
In addition to using dot plots, we can also represent distributions of numerical data using
histograms.

Here is a dot plot that shows the weights, in kilograms, of 30 dogs, followed by a histogram
that shows the same distribution.

In a histogram, data values are placed in groups or “bins” of a certain size, and each group
is represented with a bar. The height of the bar tells us the frequency for that group.

For example, the height of the tallest bar is 10, and the bar represents weights from 20 to
less than 25 kilograms, so there are 10 dogs whose weights fall in that group. Similarly,
there are 3 dogs that weigh anywhere from 25 to less than 30 kilograms.

Notice that the histogram and the dot plot have a similar shape. The dot plot has the
advantage of showing all of the data values, but the histogram is easier to draw and to
interpret when there are a lot of values or when the values are all different.

184
 Here is a dot plot showing the weight distribution of 40 dogs. The weights were measured
to the nearest 0.1 kilogram instead of the nearest kilogram.

Here is a histogram showing the same distribution.

In this case, it is difficult to make sense of the distribution from the dot plot because the
dots are so close together and all in one line. The histogram of the same data set does a
much better job showing the distribution of weights, even though we can’t see the
individual data values.

Glossary
• histogram

Unit 8 Lesson 6 185

 Lesson 6 Practice Problems
1. Match histograms A through E to dot plots 1 through 5 so that each match represents
the same data set.

186
 2. is one vertex of a square on a coordinate plane. Name three points that could
be the other vertices.

(From Unit 7, Lesson 12.)

3. Here is a histogram that summarizes the lengths, in feet, of a group of adult female
sharks. Select all the statements that are true, according to the histogram.

A. A total of 9 sharks were measured.

B. A total of 50 sharks were measured.

C. The longest shark that was measured was 10 feet long.

D. Most of the sharks that were measured were over 16 feet long.

E. Two of the sharks that were measured were less than 14 feet long.

Unit 8 Lesson 6 Practice Problems 187

 4. This table shows the times, in minutes, it took 40 sixth-grade students to run 1 mile.

time (minutes) frequency

4 to less than 6 1

6 to less than 8 5

8 to less than 10 13

10 to less than 12 12

12 to less than 14 7

14 to less than 16 2

Draw a histogram for the information in the table.

188
 Lesson 7: Using Histograms to Answer
Statistical Questions
Let's draw histograms and use them to answer questions.

7.1: Which One Doesn’t Belong: Questions

Here are four questions about the population of Alaska. Which question does not belong?
Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

1. In general, at what age do Alaska residents retire?

2. At what age can Alaskans vote?

3. What is the age difference between the youngest and oldest Alaska residents with a
full-time job?

4. Which age group is the largest part of the population: 18 years or younger, 19–25
years, 25–34 years, 35–44 years, 45–54 years, 55–64 years, or 65 years or older?

7.2: Measuring Earthworms

An earthworm farmer set up several containers of a certain
species of earthworms so that he could learn about their
lengths. The lengths of the earthworms provide information
about their ages. The farmer measured the lengths of 25
earthworms in one of the containers. Each length was
measured in millimeters.

1. Using a ruler, draw a line segment for each length:

◦ 20 millimeters
◦ 40 millimeters
◦ 60 millimeters
◦ 80 millimeters
◦ 100 millimeters

Unit 8 Lesson 7 189

 2. Here are the lengths, in millimeters, of the 25 earthworms.

6 11 18 19 20 23 23 25

25 26 27 27 28 29 32 33

41 42 48 52 54 59 60 77

93
Complete the table for the lengths of the 25 earthworms.

length frequency

0 millimeters to less than 20 millimeters

20 millimeters to less than 40 millimeters

40 millimeters to less than 60 millimeters

60 millimeters to less than 80 millimeters

80 millimeters to less than 100 millimeters

3. Use the grid and the information in the table to draw a histogram for the worm
length data. Be sure to label the axes of your histogram.

4. Based on the histogram, what is a typical length for these 25 earthworms? Explain
how you know.

190
 5. Write 1–2 sentences to describe the spread of the data. Do most of the worms have a
length that is close to your estimate of a typical length, or are they very different in
length?

Are you ready for more?

Here is another histogram for the earthworm measurement data. In this histogram, the
measurements are in different groupings.

1. Based on this histogram, what is your estimate of a typical length for the 25
earthworms?

2. Compare this histogram with the one you drew. How are the distributions of data
summarized in the two histograms the same? How are they different?

3. Compare your estimates of a typical earthworm length for the two histograms. Did
you reach different conclusions about a typical earthworm length from the two
histograms?

Unit 8 Lesson 7 191

 7.3: Tall and Taller Players
Professional basketball players tend to be taller than professional baseball players.

Here are two histograms that show height distributions of 50 male professional baseball
players and 50 male professional basketball players.

1. Decide which histogram shows the heights of baseball players and which shows the
heights of basketball players. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

2. Write 2–3 sentences that describe the distribution of the heights of the basketball
players. Comment on the center and spread of the data.

3. Write 2–3 sentences that describe the distribution of the heights of the baseball
players. Comment on the center and spread of the data.

192
 Lesson 7 Summary
Here are the weights, in kilograms, of 30 dogs.

10 11 12 12 13 15 16 16

17 18 18 19 20 20 20 21

22 22 22 23 24 24 26 26

28 30 32 32 34 34

Before we draw a histogram, let’s consider a couple of questions.

• What are the smallest and largest values in our data set? This gives us an idea of the
distance on the number line that our histogram will cover. In this case, the minimum
is 10 and the maximum is 34, so our number line needs to extend from 10 to 35 at
the very least.

(Remember the convention we use to mark off the number line for a histogram: we
include the left boundary of a bar but exclude the right boundary. If 34 is the
right boundary of the last bar, it won't be included in that bar, so the number
line needs to go a little greater than the maximum value.)

• What group size or bin size seems reasonable here? We could organize the weights
into bins of 2 kilograms (10, 12, 14, . . .), 5 kilograms, (10, 15, 20, 25, . . .), 10 kilograms
(10, 20, 30, . . .), or any other size. The smaller the bins, the more bars we will have,
and vice versa.

Let’s use bins of 5 kilograms

for the dog weights. The weights in kilograms frequency
boundaries of our bins will
be: 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35. We 10 to less than 15 5
stop at 35 because it is
greater than the maximum. 15 to less than 20 7

Next, we find the frequency 20 to less than 25 10

for the values in each group.
25 to less than 30 3
It is helpful to organize the
values in a table.
30 to less than 35 5

Unit 8 Lesson 7 193

 Now we can draw the histogram.

The histogram allows us to learn more about the dog weight distribution and describe its
center and spread.

194
 Lesson 7 Practice Problems
1. These two histograms show the number of text messages sent in one week by two
groups of 100 students. The first histogram summarizes data from sixth-grade
students. The second histogram summarizes data from seventh-grade students.

a. Do the two data sets have approximately the same center? If so, explain where
the center is located. If not, which one has the greater center?

b. Which data set has greater spread? Explain your reasoning.

c. Overall, which group of students—sixth- or seventh-grade—sent more text

messages?

Unit 8 Lesson 7 Practice Problems 195

 2. Forty sixth-grade students ran 1 mile. Here is a histogram that summarizes their
times, in minutes. The center of the distribution is approximately 10 minutes.

On the blank axes, draw a second histogram that has:

◦ a distribution of times for a different group of 40 sixth-grade students.

◦ a center at 10 minutes.
◦ less variability than the distribution shown in the first histogram.

3. Jada has dimes. She has more than 30 cents but less than a dollar.

a. Write two inequalities that represent how many dimes Jada has.

b. Can be 10?

c. How many possible solutions make both inequalities true? If possible,

describe or list the solutions.

(From Unit 7, Lesson 9.)

4. Order these numbers from greatest to least: , , 0, 4, , ,

(From Unit 7, Lesson 4.)

196
 Lesson 8: Describing Distributions on
Histograms
Let's describe distributions displayed in histograms.

8.1: Which One Doesn’t Belong: Histograms

Which histogram does not belong? Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

8.2: Sorting Histograms

1. Your teacher will give your group a set of histogram cards. Sort them into two
piles—one for histograms that are approximately symmetrical, and another for those
that are not.

2. Discuss your sorting decisions with another group. Do both groups agree which cards
should go in each pile? If not, discuss the reasons behind the differences and see if
you can reach agreement. Record your final decisions.

◦ Histograms that are approximately symmetrical:

◦ Histograms that are not approximately symmetrical:

Unit 8 Lesson 8 197

 3. Histograms are also described by how many major peaks they have. Histogram A is
an example of a distribution with a single peak that is not symmetrical.

Which other histograms have this feature?

4. Some histograms have a gap, a space between two bars where there are no data
points. For example, if some students in a class have 7 or more siblings, but the rest
of the students have 0, 1, or 2 siblings, the histogram for this data set would show
gaps between the bars because no students have 3, 4, 5, or 6 siblings.

Which histograms do you think show one or more gaps?

5. Sometimes there are a few data points in a data set that are far from the center.
Histogram A is an example of a distribution with this feature.

Which other histograms have this feature?

8.3: Getting to School

Your teacher will provide you with some data that your class collected the other day.

1. Use the data to draw a histogram that shows your class’s travel times.

2. Describe the distribution of travel times. Comment on the center and spread of the
data, as well as the shape and features.

198
 3. Use the data on methods of travel to draw a bar graph. Include labels for the
horizontal axis.

4. Describe what you learned about your class’s methods of transportation to school.
Comment on any patterns you noticed.

5. Compare the histogram and the bar graph that you drew. How are they the
same? How are they different?

Are you ready for more?

Use one of these suggestions (or make up your own). Research data to create a histogram.
Then, describe the distribution.

• Heights of 30 athletes from multiple sports

• Heights of 30 athletes from the same sport
• High temperatures for each day of the last month in a city you would like to visit
• Prices for all the menu items at a local restaurant

Unit 8 Lesson 8 199

 Lesson 8 Summary
We can describe the shape and features of the distribution shown on a histogram. Here
are two distributions with very different shapes and features.

• Histogram A is very symmetrical and has a peak near 21. Histogram B is not
symmetrical and has two peaks, one near 11 and one near 25.
• Histogram B has two clusters. A cluster forms when many data points are near a
particular value (or a neighborhood of values) on a number line.
• Histogram B also has a gap between 20 and 22. A gap shows a location with no data
values.

Here is a bar graph showing the breeds of 30 dogs and a histogram for their weights.

Bar graphs and histograms may seem alike, but they are very different.

• Bar graphs represent categorical data. Histograms represent numerical data.

• Bar graphs have spaces between the bars. Histograms show a space between bars
only when no data values fall between the bars.
• Bars in a bar graph can be in any order. Histograms must be in numerical order.
• In a bar graph, the number of bars depends on the number of categories. In a
histogram, we choose how many bars to use.

200
 Lesson 8 Practice Problems
1. The histogram summarizes the data on the body lengths of 143 wild bears. Describe
the distribution of body lengths. Be sure to comment on shape, center, and spread.

2. Which data set is more likely to produce a histogram with a symmetric distribution?
Explain your reasoning.

◦ Data on the number of seconds on a track of music in a pop album.

◦ Data on the number of seconds spent talking on the phone yesterday by
everyone in the school.

3. Evaluate the expression for each value of .

a. 1

b. 2

c.

(From Unit 6, Lesson 15.)

Unit 8 Lesson 8 Practice Problems 201

 4. Decide if each data set might produce one or more gaps when represented by a
histogram. For each data set that you think might produce gaps, briefly describe or
give an example of how the values in the data set might do so.

a. The ages of students in a sixth-grade class.

b. The ages of people in an elementary school.

c. The ages of people eating in a family restaurant.

d. The ages of people who watch football.

e. The ages of runners in a marathon.

5. Jada drank 12 ounces of water from her bottle. This is 60% of the water the bottle
holds.

a. Write an equation to represent this situation. Explain the meaning of any

variables you use.

b. How much water does the bottle hold?

(From Unit 6, Lesson 7.)

202
 Lesson 9: Mean
Let’s explore the mean of a data set and what it tells us.

9.1: Close to Four

Use the digits 0–9 to write an expression with a value as close as possible to 4. Each digit
can be used only one time in the expression.

9.2: Spread Out and Share

1. The kittens in a room at an animal shelter are placed in 5 crates.

a. The manager of the shelter wants the kittens distributed equally among the
crates. How might that be done? How many kittens will end up in each crate?

b. The number of kittens in each crate after they are equally distributed is called
the mean number of kittens per crate, or the average number of kittens per
crate. Explain how the expression is related to the average.

Unit 8 Lesson 9 203

 c. Another room in the shelter has 6 crates. No two crates has the same number
of kittens, and there is an average of 3 kittens per crate. Draw or describe at
least two different arrangements of kittens that match this description.

2. Five servers were scheduled to work the number of hours shown. They decided to
share the workload, so each one would work equal hours.

server A: 3 server B: 6 server C: 11 server D: 7 server E: 4

a. On the grid on the left, draw 5 bars whose heights represent the hours worked
by servers A, B, C, D, and E.

b. Think about how you would rearrange the hours so that each server gets a fair
share. Then, on the grid on the right, draw a new graph to represent the
rearranged hours. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

c. Based on your second drawing, what is the average or mean number of hours
that the servers will work?

d. Explain why we can also find the mean by finding the value of the expression
.

e. Which server will see the biggest change to work hours? Which server will see
the least change?

204
 Are you ready for more?
Server F, working 7 hours, offers to join the group of five servers, sharing their workload.
If server F joins, will the mean number of hours worked increase or decrease? Explain how
you know.

9.3: Getting to School

For the past 12 school days, Mai has recorded how long her bus rides to school take in
minutes. The times she recorded are shown in the table.

9 8 6 9 10 7 6 12 9 8 10 8

1. Find the mean for Mai’s data. Show your reasoning.

2. In this situation, what does the mean tell us about Mai’s trip to school?

3. For 5 days, Tyler has recorded how long his walks to school take in minutes. The
mean for his data is 11 minutes. Without calculating, predict if each of the data sets
shown could be Tyler’s. Explain your reasoning.

◦ data set A: 11, 8, 7, 9, 8

◦ data set B: 12, 7, 13, 9, 14
◦ data set C: 11, 20, 6, 9, 10
◦ data set D: 8, 10, 9, 11, 11

4. Determine which data set is Tyler’s. Explain how you know.

Unit 8 Lesson 9 205

 Lesson 9 Summary
Sometimes a general description of a distribution does not give enough information, and a
more precise way to talk about center or spread would be more useful. The mean, or
average, is a number we can use to summarize a distribution.

We can think about the mean in terms of “fair share” or “leveling out.” That is, a mean can
be thought of as a number that each member of a group would have if all the data values
were combined and distributed equally among the members.

For example, suppose there are 5 bottles

which have the following amounts of water: 1
liter, 4 liters, 2 liters, 3 liters, and 0 liters.

To find the mean, first we add up all of the

values. We can think of this as putting all of
the water together: .

To find the “fair share,” we divide the 10 liters

equally into the 5 containers: .

Suppose the quiz scores of a student are 70, 90, 86, and 94. We can find the mean (or
average) score by finding the sum of the scores and dividing
the sum by four . We can then say that the student scored, on average, 85
points on the quizzes.

In general, to find the mean of a data set with values, we add all of the values and divide
the sum by .

Glossary
• average
• mean

206
 Lesson 9 Practice Problems
1. A preschool teacher is rearranging four boxes of playing blocks so that each box
contains an equal number of blocks. Currently Box 1 has 32 blocks, Box 2 has 18,
Box 3 has 41, and Box 4 has 9.

Select all the ways he could make each box have the same number of blocks.

A. Remove all the blocks and make four equal piles of 25, then put each pile in one
of the boxes.

B. Remove 7 blocks from Box 1 and place them in Box 2.

C. Remove 21 blocks from Box 3 and place them in Box 4.

D. Remove 7 blocks from Box 1 and place them in Box 2, and remove 21 blocks
from Box 3 and place them in Box 4.

E. Remove 7 blocks from Box 1 and place them in Box 2, and remove 16 blocks
from Box 3 and place them in Box 4.

2. In a round of mini-golf, Clare records the number of strokes it takes to hit the ball
into the hole of each green.

2 3 1 4 5 2 3 4 3

She said that, if she redistributed the strokes on different greens, she could tell that
her average number of strokes per hole is 3. Explain how Clare is correct.

3. Three sixth-grade classes raised $25.50, $49.75, and $37.25 for their classroom
libraries. They agreed to share the money raised equally. What is each class’s equal
share? Explain or show your reasoning.

Unit 8 Lesson 9 Practice Problems 207

 4. In her English class, Mai’s teacher gives 4 quizzes each worth 5 points. After 3 quizzes,
she has the scores 4, 3, and 4. What does she need to get on the last quiz to have a
mean score of 4? Explain or show your reasoning.

5. An earthworm farmer examined two containers of a certain species of earthworms

so that he could learn about their lengths. He measured 25 earthworms in each
container and recorded their lengths in millimeters.

Here are histograms of the lengths for each container.

a. Which container tends to have longer worms than the other container?

b. For which container would 15 millimeters be a reasonable description of a

typical length of the worms in the container?

c. If length is related to age, which container had the most young worms?

(From Unit 8, Lesson 7.)

6. Diego thinks that is a solution to the equation . Do you agree? Explain

or show your reasoning.

(From Unit 6, Lesson 15.)

208
 Lesson 10: Finding and Interpreting the Mean
as the Balance Point
Let's look at another way to understand the mean of a data set.

10.1: Which One Doesn’t Belong: Division

Which expression does not belong? Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

10.2: Travel Times (Part 1)

Here is the data set from an earlier lesson showing how long it takes for Diego to walk to
school, in minutes, over 5 days. The mean number of minutes is 11.

12 7 13 9 14

1. Represent Diego’s data on a dot plot. Mark the location of the mean with a triangle.

2. The mean can also be seen as a measure of center that balances the points in a data
set. If we find the distance between every point and the mean, add the distances on
each side of the mean, and compare the two sums, we can see this balancing.

Unit 8 Lesson 10 209

 a. Record the distance between each point and 11 and its location relative to 11.

time in minutes distance from 11 left of 11 or right of 11?

12

13

14

b. Sum of distances left of 11:___________ Sum of distances right of 11:___________

What do you notice about the two sums?

3. Can another point that is not the mean produce similar sums of distances?
Let’s investigate whether 10 can produce similar sums as those of 11.

a. Complete the table with the distance of each data point from 10.

time in minutes distance from 10 left of 10 or right of 10?

12

13

14

b. Sum of distances left of 10:___________ Sum of distances right of 10:___________

What do you notice about the two sums?

4. Based on your work so far, explain why the mean can be considered a balance point
for the data set.

210
 10.3: Travel Times (Part 2)
1. Here are dot plots showing how long Diego’s trips to school took in minutes—which
you studied earlier—and how long Andre’s trips to school took in minutes. The dot
plots include the means for each data set, marked by triangles.

a. Which of the two data sets has a larger mean? In this context, what does a
larger mean tell us?

b. Which of the two data sets has larger sums of distances to the left and right of
the mean? What do these sums tell us about the variation in Diego’s and Andre’s
travel times?

2. Here is a dot plot showing lengths of Lin’s trips to school.

a. Calculate the mean of Lin’s travel times.

Unit 8 Lesson 10 211

 b. Complete the table with the distance between each point and the mean as well
whether the point is to the left or right of the mean.

time in distance from left or right

minutes the mean of the mean?

22

18

11

11

c. Find the sum of distances to the left of the mean and the sum of distances to
the right of the mean.

d. Use your work to compare Lin’s travel times to Andre’s. What can you say about
their average travel times? What about the variability in their travel times?

Lesson 10 Summary
The mean is often used as a measure of center of a distribution. This is because the mean
of a distribution can be seen as the “balance point” for the distribution. Why is this a good
way to think about the mean? Let’s look at a very simple set of data on the number of
cookies that each of eight friends baked:

19 20 20 21 21 22 22 23

212
 Here is a dot plot showing the data set.

The distribution shown is completely symmetrical. The mean number of cookies is 21,
because . If we mark the location of the
mean on the dot plot, we can see that the data points could balance at 21.

In this plot, each point on either side of the mean has a mirror image. For example, the
two points at 20 and the two at 22 are the same distance from 21, but each pair is located
on either side of 21. We can think of them as balancing each other around 21.

Similarly, the points at 19 and 23 are the same distance from 21 but are on either side of it.
They, too, can be seen as balancing each other around 21.

We can say that the distribution of the cookies has a center at 21 because that is its
balance point, and that the eight friends, on average, baked 21 cookies.

Even when a distribution is not completely symmetrical, the distances of values below the
mean, on the whole, balance the distances of values above the mean.

Glossary
• measure of center

Unit 8 Lesson 10 213

 Lesson 10 Practice Problems
1. On school days, Kiran walks to school. Here are the lengths of time, in minutes,
for Kiran’s walks on 5 school days:

16 11 18 12 13
a. Create a dot plot for Kiran’s data.

b. Without calculating, decide if 15 minutes would be a good estimate of the mean.

If you think it is a good estimate, explain your reasoning. If not, give a better
estimate and explain your reasoning.

c. Calculate the mean for Kiran’s data.

d. In the table, record the distance of each data point from the mean and its
location relative to the mean.

time in minutes distance from the mean left or right of the mean?

16

11

18

12

13

e. Calculate the sum of all distances to the left of the mean, then calculate the sum
of distances to the right of the mean. Explain how these sums show that the
mean is a balance point for the values in the data set.

214
 2. Noah scored 20 points in a game. Mai's score was 30 points. The mean score for
Noah, Mai, and Clare was 40 points. What was Clare's score? Explain or show your
reasoning.

3. Compare the numbers using >, <, or =.

a. _____ a. _____ a. _____

b. _____ b. _____ b. _____

(From Unit 7, Lesson 7.)

4. a. Plot and on a number line.

b. Is , or is ? Explain how you know.

(From Unit 7, Lesson 3.)

5. Select all the expressions

that represent the total area
of the large rectangle.

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

(From Unit 6, Lesson 10.)

Unit 8 Lesson 10 Practice Problems 215

 Lesson 11: Variability and MAD
Let's study distances between data points and the mean and see what they tell us.

11.1: Shooting Hoops (Part 1)

Elena, Jada, and Lin enjoy playing basketball during recess. Lately, they have been
practicing free throws. They record the number of baskets they make out of 10 attempts.
Here are their data sets for 12 school days.

Elena

4 5 1 6 9 7 2 8 3 3 5 7

Jada

2 4 5 4 6 6 4 7 3 4 8 7

Lin

3 6 6 4 5 5 3 5 4 6 6 7

1. Calculate the mean number of baskets each player made, and compare the means.
What do you notice?

2. What do the means tell us in this context?

216
 11.2: Shooting Hoops (Part 2)
Here are the dot plots showing the number of baskets Elena, Jada, and Lin each made over
12 school days.

1. On each dot plot, mark the location of the mean with a triangle ( ). Then, contrast
the dot plot distributions. Write 2–3 sentences to describe the shape and spread of
each distribution.

2. Discuss the following questions with your group. Explain your reasoning.

a. Would you say that all three students play equally well?

b. Would you say that all three students play equally consistently?

c. If you could choose one player to be on your basketball team based on their
records, who would you choose?

Unit 8 Lesson 11 217

 11.3: Shooting Hoops (Part 3)
The tables show Elena, Jada, and Lin’s basketball data from an earlier activity. Recall that
the mean of Elena’s data, as well as that of Jada and Lin’s data, was 5.

1. Record the distance between each of Elena’s scores and the mean.

Elena 4 5 1 6 9 7 2 8 3 3 5 7

distance
1 1
from 5

Now find the average of the distances in the table. Show your reasoning and round your
answer to the nearest tenth.

This value is the mean absolute deviation (MAD) of Elena’s data.

Elena’s MAD: _________

2. Find the mean absolute deviation of Jada’s data. Round it to the nearest tenth.

Jada 2 4 5 4 6 6 4 7 3 4 8 7

distance
from 5

Jada’s MAD: _________

218
 3. Find the mean absolute deviation of Lin’s data. Round it to the nearest tenth.

Lin 3 6 6 4 5 5 3 5 4 6 6 7

distance
from 5

Lin’s MAD: _________

4. Compare the MADs and dot plots of the three students’ data. Do you see a
relationship between each student’s MAD and the distribution on her dot plot?
Explain your reasoning.

Are you ready for more?

Invent another data set that also has a mean of 5 but has a MAD greater than 2.
Remember, the values in the data set must be whole numbers from 0 to 10.

Unit 8 Lesson 11 219

 11.4: Game of 22
Your teacher will give your group a deck of cards. Shuffle the cards, and put the deck face
down on the playing surface.

• To play: Draw 3 cards and add up the values. An ace is a 1. A jack, queen, and king are
each worth 10. Cards 2–10 are each worth their face value. If your sum is anything
other than 22 (either above or below 22), say: “My sum deviated from 22 by ____ ,” or
“My sum was off from 22 by ____ .”

• To keep score: Record each sum and each distance from 22 in the table. After five
rounds, calculate the average of the distances. The player with the lowest average
distance from 22 wins the game.

player A round 1 round 2 round 3 round 4 round 5

sum of cards

distance from 22

Average distance from 22: ____________

player B round 1 round 2 round 3 round 4 round 5

sum of cards

distance from 22

Average distance from 22: ____________

player C round 1 round 2 round 3 round 4 round 5

sum of cards

distance from 22

Average distance from 22: ____________

Whose average distance from 22 is the smallest? Who won the game?

220
 Lesson 11 Summary
We use the mean of a data set as a measure of center of its distribution, but two data sets
with the same mean could have very different distributions.

This dot plot shows the weights, in grams, of 22 cookies.

The mean weight is 21 grams. All the weights are within 3 grams of the mean, and most of
them are even closer. These cookies are all fairly close in weight.

This dot plot shows the weights, in grams, of a different set of 30 cookies.

The mean weight for this set of cookies is also 21 grams, but some cookies are half that
weight and others are one-and-a-half times that weight. There is a lot more variability in
the weight.

There is a number we can use to describe how far away, or how spread out, data points
generally are from the mean. This measure of spread is called the mean absolute deviation
(MAD).

Here the MAD tells us how far cookie weights typically are from 21 grams. To find the MAD,
we find the distance between each data value and the mean, and then calculate the mean
of those distances.

Unit 8 Lesson 11 221

 For instance, the point that represents 18 grams is 3 units away from the mean of 21
grams. We can find the distance between each point and the mean of 21 grams and
organize the distances into a table, as shown.

weight
in 18 19 19 19 20 20 20 20 21 21 21 21 21 22 22 22 22 22 22 23 23 24
grams

distance
from 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 3
mean

The values in the first row of the table are the cookie weights for the first set of cookies.
Their mean, 21 grams, is the mean of the cookie weights.

The values in the second row of the table are the distances between the values in the first
row and 21. The mean of these distances is the MAD of the cookie weights.

What can we learn from the averages of these distances once they are calculated?

• In the first set of cookies, the distances are all between 0 and 3. The MAD is 1.2
grams, which tells us that the cookie weights are typically within 1.2 grams of 21
grams. We could say that a typical cookie weighs between 19.8 and 22.2 grams.

• In the second set of cookies, the distances are all between 0 and 13. The MAD is 5.6
grams, which tells us that the cookie weights are typically within 5.6 grams of 21
grams. We could say a typical cookie weighs between 15.4 and 26.6 grams.

The MAD is also called a measure of the variability of the distribution. In these examples, it is
easy to see that a higher MAD suggests a distribution that is more spread out, showing
more variability.

Glossary
• mean absolute deviation (MAD)

222
 Lesson 11 Practice Problems
1. Han recorded the number of pages that he read each day for five days. The dot plot
shows his data.

a. Is 30 pages a good estimate of the mean number of pages that Han read each
day? Explain your reasoning.

b. Find the mean number of pages that Han read during the five days. Draw a
triangle to mark the mean on the dot plot.

c. Use the dot plot and the mean to complete the table.

number of pages distance from mean left or right of mean

25 left

28

32

36

42

d. Calculate the mean absolute deviation (MAD) of the data. Explain or show your
reasoning.

Unit 8 Lesson 11 Practice Problems 223

 2. Ten sixth-grade students recorded the amounts of time each took to travel to school.
The dot plot shows their travel times.

The mean travel time for these

students is approximately 9
minutes. The MAD is approximately
4.2 minutes.

a. Which number of minutes—9 or 4.2—is a typical amount of time for the ten
sixth-grade students to travel to school? Explain your reasoning.

b. Based on the mean and MAD, Jada believes that travel times between 5 and 13
minutes are common for this group. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.

c. A different group of ten sixth-grade students also recorded their travel times to
school. Their mean travel time was also 9 minutes, but the MAD was about 7
minutes. What could the dot plot of this second data set be? Describe or draw
how it might look.

3. In an archery competition, scores for each round are calculated by averaging the
distance of 3 arrows from the center of the target.

An archer has a mean distance of 1.6 inches and a MAD distance of 1.3 inches in the
first round. In the second round, the archer's arrows are farther from the center but
are more consistent. What values for the mean and MAD would fit this description for
the second round? Explain your reasoning.

224
 Lesson 12: Using Mean and MAD to Make
Comparisons
Let's use mean and MAD to describe and compare distributions.

12.1: Number Talk: Decimal Division

Find the value of each expression mentally.

12.2: Which Player Would You Choose?

1. Andre and Noah joined Elena, Jada, and Lin in recording their basketball scores. They
all recorded their scores in the same way: the number of baskets made out of 10
attempts. Each collected 12 data points.

◦ Andre’s mean number of baskets was 5.25, and his MAD was 2.6.
◦ Noah’s mean number of baskets was also 5.25, but his MAD was 1.

Here are two dot

plots that represent
the two data sets.
The triangle indicates
the location of the
mean.

a. Without calculating, decide which dot plot represents Andre’s data and which
represents Noah’s. Explain how you know.

Unit 8 Lesson 12 225

 b. If you were the captain of a basketball team and could use one more player on
your team, would you choose Andre or Noah? Explain your reasoning.

2. An eighth-grade student decided to join Andre and Noah and kept track of his scores.
His data set is shown here. The mean number of baskets he made is 6.

eighth‐grade student 6 5 4 7 6 5 7 8 5 6 5 8

distance from 6

a. Calculate the MAD. Show your reasoning.

b. Draw a dot plot to represent his data and mark the location of the mean with a
triangle ( ).

c. Compare the eighth-grade student’s mean and MAD to Noah’s mean and MAD.
What do you notice?

d. Compare their dot plots. What do you notice about the distributions?

e. What can you say about the two players’ shooting accuracy and consistency?

226
 Are you ready for more?
Invent a data set with a mean of 7 and a MAD of 1.

12.3: Swimmers Over the Years

In 1984, the mean age of swimmers on the U.S. women’s swimming team was 18.2 years
and the MAD was 2.2 years. In 2016, the mean age of the swimmers was 22.8 years, and
the MAD was 3 years.

1. How has the average age of the women on the U.S. swimming team changed from
1984 to 2016? Explain your reasoning.

2. Are the swimmers on the 1984 team closer in age to one another than the swimmers
on the 2016 team are to one another? Explain your reasoning.

3. Here are dot plots showing the ages of the women on the U.S. swimming team in
1984 and in 2016. Use them to make two other comments about how the women’s
swimming team has changed over the years.

Unit 8 Lesson 12 227

 Lesson 12 Summary
Sometimes two distributions have different means but the same MAD.

Pugs and beagles are two different dog breeds. The dot plot shows two sets of weight
data—one for pugs and the other for beagles.

• The mean weight for pugs is 7 kilograms, and the MAD is 0.5 kilogram.
• The mean weight for beagles is 10 kilograms, and the MAD is 0.5 kilogram.
We can say that, in general, the beagles are heavier than the pugs. A typical weight for the
beagles in this group is about 3 kilograms heavier than a typical weight for the pugs.

The variability of pug weights, however, is about the same as the variability of beagle
weights. In other words, the weights of pugs and the weights of beagles are equally spread
out.

228
 Lesson 12 Practice Problems
1. The dot plots show the amounts of time that ten U.S. students and ten Australian
students took to get to school.

Which statement is true

about the MAD of the
Australian data set?

A. It is significantly less than the MAD of the U.S. data set.

B. It is exactly equal to the MAD of the U.S. data set.

C. It is approximately equal to the MAD of the U.S. data set.

D. It is significantly greater than the MAD of the U.S. data set.

2. The dot plots show the amounts of time that ten South African students and ten
Australian students took to get to school. Without calculating, answer the questions.

a. Which data set has the smaller mean? Explain your reasoning.

b. Which data set has the smaller MAD? Explain your reasoning.

c. What does a smaller mean tell us in this context?

d. What does a smaller MAD tell us in this context?

Unit 8 Lesson 12 Practice Problems 229

 3. Two high school basketball teams have identical records of 15 wins and 2 losses.
Sunnyside High School's mean score is 50 points and its MAD is 4 points. Shadyside
High School's mean score is 60 points and its MAD is 15 points.

Lin read the records of each team’s score. She likes the team that had nearly the
same score for every game it played. Which team do you think Lin likes? Explain your
reasoning.

4. Jada thinks the perimeter of this rectangle can be represented

with the expression . Andre thinks it can be
represented with . Do you agree with either of them?
Explain your reasoning.

(From Unit 6, Lesson 8.)

5. Draw a number line.

a. Plot and label three numbers between -2 and -8 (not including -2 and -8).

b. Use the numbers you plotted and the symbols and to write three inequality
statements.

(From Unit 7, Lesson 3.)

6. Adult elephant seals generally weigh about 5,500 pounds. If you weighed 5 elephant
seals, would you expect each seal to weigh exactly 5,500 pounds? Explain your
reasoning.

(From Unit 8, Lesson 2.)

230
 Lesson 13: Median
Let's explore the median of a data set and what it tells us.

13.1: The Plot of the Story

1. Here are two dot plots and two stories. Match each story with a dot plot that could
represent it. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

◦ Twenty people—high school students, teachers, and invited guests—attended a

rehearsal for a high school musical. The mean age was 38.5 years and the MAD
was 16.5 years.

◦ High school soccer team practice is usually watched by supporters of the

players. One evening, twenty people watched the team practice. The mean
age was 38.5 years and the MAD was 12.7 years.

2. Another evening, twenty people watched the soccer team practice. The mean age
was similar to that from the first evening, but the MAD was greater (about 20 years).
Make a dot plot that could illustrate the distribution of ages in this story.

Unit 8 Lesson 13 231

 13.2: Siblings in the House
Here is data that shows the numbers of siblings of ten students in Tyler’s class.

1 0 2 1 7 0 2 0 1 10

1. Represent the data shown with a dot plot.

2. Without making any calculations, estimate the center of the data based on your dot
plot. What is a typical number of siblings for these sixth-grade students? Mark the
location of that number on your dot plot.

3. Find the mean. Show your reasoning.

4. a. How does the mean compare to the value that you marked on the dot plot as a
typical number of siblings? (Is it a little larger, a lot larger, exactly the same, a
little smaller, or a lot smaller than your estimate?)

b. Do you think the mean summarizes the data set well? Explain your reasoning.

Are you ready for more?

Invent a data set with a mean that is significantly lower than what you would consider a
typical value for the data set.

232
 13.3: Finding the Middle
1. Your teacher will give you an index card. Write your first and last names on the card.
Then record the total number of letters in your name. After that, pause for additional
instructions from your teacher.

2. Here is the data set on numbers of siblings from an earlier activity.

1 0 2 1 7 0 2 0 1 10

a. Sort the data from least to greatest, and then find the median.

b. In this situation, do you think the median is a good measure of a typical number
of siblings for this group? Explain your reasoning.

3. Here is the dot plot showing the travel time, in minutes, of Elena’s bus rides to school.

a. Find the median travel time. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

b. What does the median tell us in this context?

Unit 8 Lesson 13 233

 Lesson 13 Summary
The median is another measure of center of a distribution. It is the middle value in a data
set when values are listed in order. Half of the values in a data set are less than or equal to
the median, and half of the values are greater than or equal to the median.

To find the median, we order the data values from least to greatest and find the number in
the middle.

Suppose we have 5 dogs whose weights, in pounds, are shown in the table. The median
weight for this group of dogs is 32 pounds because three dogs weigh less than or equal to
32 pounds and three dogs weigh greater than or equal to 32 pounds.

20 25 32 40 55

Now suppose we have 6 cats whose weights, in pounds, are as shown in the table. Notice
that there are two values in the middle: 7 and 8.

4 6 7 8 10 10

The median weight must be between 7 and 8 pounds, because half of the cats weigh less
or equal to 7 pounds and half of the cats weigh greater than or equal to 8 pounds.

In general, when we have an even number of values, we take the number exactly in
between the two middle values. In this case, the median cat weight is 7.5 pounds because
.

Glossary
• median

234
 Lesson 13 Practice Problems
1. Here is data that shows a student's scores for 10 rounds of a video game.

130 150 120 170 130 120 160 160 190 140

What is the median score?

A. 125

B. 145

C. 147

D. 150

2. When he sorts the class’s scores on the last test, the teacher notices that exactly 12
students scored better than Clare and exactly 12 students scored worse than Clare.
Does this mean that Clare’s score on the test is the median? Explain your reasoning.

3. The medians of the following dot plots are 6, 12, 13, and 15, but not in that order.
Match each dot plot with its median.

4. Invent a data set with five numbers that has a mean of 10 and a median of 12.

Unit 8 Lesson 13 Practice Problems 235

 5. Ten sixth-grade students reported the hours of sleep they get on nights before a
school day. Their responses are recorded in the dot plot.

Looking at the dot plot, Lin

estimated the mean number of
hours of sleep to be 8.5 hours.
Noah's estimate was 7.5 hours.
Diego's estimate was 6.5 hours.

Which estimate do you think is best? Explain how you know.

(From Unit 8, Lesson 10.)

236
 6. In one study of wild bears, researchers measured the weights, in pounds, of 143 wild
bears that ranged in age from newborn to 15 years old. The data were used to make
this histogram.

a. What can you say about the

heaviest bear in this group?

b. What is a typical weight for

the bears in this group?

c. Do more than half of the

bears in this group weigh less
than 250 pounds?

d. If weight is related to age,

with older bears tending to
have greater body weights,
would you say that there were
more old bears or more
young bears in the group?
Explain your reasoning.

(From Unit 8, Lesson 8.)

Unit 8 Lesson 13 Practice Problems 237

 Lesson 14: Comparing Mean and Median
Let's compare the mean and median of data sets.

14.1: Heights of Presidents

Here are two dot plots. The first dot plot shows the heights of the first 22 U.S. presidents.
The second dot plot shows the heights of the next 22 presidents.

Based on the two dot plots, decide if you agree or disagree with each of the following
statements. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

1. The median height of the first 22 presidents is 178 centimeters.

2. The mean height of the first 22 presidents is about 183 centimeters.

3. A typical height for a president in the second group is about 182 centimeters.

4. U.S. presidents have become taller over time.

5. The heights of the first 22 presidents are more alike than the heights of the second
22 presidents.

6. The MAD of the second data set is greater than the MAD of the first set.

238
 14.2: The Tallest and the Smallest in the World
Your teacher will provide the height data for your class. Use the data to complete the
following questions.

1. Find the mean height of your class in centimeters.

2. Find the median height in centimeters. Show your reasoning.

3. Suppose that the world’s tallest adult, who is 251 centimeters tall, joined your class.

a. Discuss the following questions with your group and explain your reasoning.

▪ How would the mean height of the class change?

▪ How would the median height change?
b. Find the new mean.

c. Find the new median.

d. Which measure of center—the mean or the median—changed more when this

new person joined the class? Explain why the value of one measure changed
more than the other.

Unit 8 Lesson 14 239

 4. The world’s smallest adult is 63 centimeters tall. Suppose that the world’s tallest and
smallest adults both joined your class.

a. Discuss the following questions with your group and explain your reasoning.

▪ How would the mean height of the class change from the original mean?
▪ How would the median height change from the original median?
b. Find the new mean.

c. Find the new median.

d. How did the measures of center—the mean and the median—change when
these two people joined the class? Explain why the values of the mean and
median changed the way they did.

14.3: Mean or Median?

1. Your teacher will give you six cards. Each has either a dot plot or a histogram. Sort
the cards into two piles based on the distributions shown. Be prepared to explain
your reasoning.

2. Discuss your sorting decisions with another group. Did you have the same cards in
each pile? If so, did you use the same sorting categories? If not, how are your
categories different?

Pause here for a class discussion.

240
 3. Use the information on the cards to answer the following questions.

a. Card A: What is a typical age of the dogs being treated at the animal clinic?

b. Card B: What is a typical number of people in the Irish households?

c. Card C: What is a typical travel time for the New Zealand students?

d. Card D: Would 15 years old be a good description of a typical age of the people
who attended the birthday party?

e. Card E: Is 15 minutes or 24 minutes a better description of a typical time it takes

the students in South Africa to get to school?

f. Card F: Would 21.3 years old be a good description of a typical age of the people
who went on a field trip to Washington, D.C.?

4. How did you decide which measure of center to use for the dot plots on Cards A–C?
What about for those on Cards D–F?

Are you ready for more?

Most teachers use the mean to calculate a student’s final grade, based on that student’s
scores on tests, quizzes, homework, projects, and other graded assignments.

Diego thinks that the median might be a better way to measure how well a student did in a
course. Do you agree with Diego? Explain your reasoning.

Unit 8 Lesson 14 241

 Lesson 14 Summary
Both the mean and the median are ways of measuring the center of a distribution. They
tell us slightly different things, however.

The dot plot shows the weights of 30 cookies. The mean weight is 21 grams (marked with a
triangle). The median weight is 20.5 grams (marked with a diamond).

The mean tells us that if the weights of all cookies were distributed so that each one
weighed the same, that weight would be 21 grams. We could also think of 21 grams as a
balance point for the weights of all of the cookies in the set.

The median tells us that half of the cookies weigh more than 20.5 grams and half weigh
less than 20.5 grams. In this case, both the mean and the median could describe a typical
cookie weight because they are fairly close to each other and to most of the data points.

Here is a different set of 30 cookies. It has the same mean weight as the first set, but the
median weight is 23 grams.

In this case, the median is closer to where most of the data points are clustered and is
therefore a better measure of center for this distribution. That is, it is a better description
of a typical cookie weight. The mean weight is influenced (in this case, pulled down) by a
handful of much smaller cookies, so it is farther away from most data points.

In general, when a distribution is symmetrical or approximately symmetrical, the mean

and median values are close. But when a distribution is not roughly symmetrical, the two
values tend to be farther apart.

242
 Lesson 14 Practice Problems
1. Here is a dot plot that shows the ages of teachers at a school.

Which of these statements is true of

the data set shown in the dot plot?

A. The mean is less than the median.

B. The mean is approximately equal to the median.

C. The mean is greater than the median.

D. The mean cannot be determined.

2. Priya asked each of five friends to attempt to throw a ball in a trash can until they
succeeded. She recorded the number of unsuccessful attempts made by each friend
as: 1, 8, 6, 2, 4. Priya made a mistake: The 8 in the data set should have been 18.

How would changing the 8 to 18 affect the mean and median of the data set?

A. The mean would decrease and the median would not change.

B. The mean would increase and the median would not change.

C. The mean would decrease and the median would increase.

D. The mean would increase and the median would increase.

3. In his history class, Han's homework scores are:

100 100 100 100 95 100 90 100 0

The history teacher uses the mean to calculate the grade for homework. Write an
argument for Han to explain why median would be a better measure to use for his
homework grades.

Unit 8 Lesson 14 Practice Problems 243

 4. The dot plots show how much time, in minutes, students in a class took to complete
each of five different tasks. Select all the dot plots of tasks for which the mean time is
approximately equal to the median time.

5. Zookeepers recorded the ages, weights, genders, and heights of the 10 pandas at
their zoo. Write two statistical questions that could be answered using these data
sets.

(From Unit 8, Lesson 2.)

6. Here is a set of coordinates. Draw and label an appropriate pair of axes and plot the
points. , , ,

(From Unit 7, Lesson 12.)

244
 Lesson 15: Quartiles and Interquartile Range
Let's look at other measures for describing distributions.

15.1: Notice and Wonder: Two Parties

Here are dot plots that show the ages of people at two different parties. The mean of each
distribution is marked with a triangle.

What do you notice and what do you wonder about the distributions in the two dot plots?

Unit 8 Lesson 15 245

 15.2: The Five-Number Summary
Here are the ages of the people at one party, listed from least to greatest.

7 8 9 10 10 11 12 15

16 20 20 22 23 24 28 30

33 35 38 42

1. a. Find the median of the data set and label it “50th percentile.” This splits the data
into an upper half and a lower half.

b. Find the middle value of the lower half of the data, without including the median.
Label this value “25th percentile.”

c. Find the middle value of the upper half of the data, without including the
median. Label this value “75th percentile.”

2. You have split the data set into four pieces. Each of the three values that split the
data is called a quartile.

◦ We call the 25th percentile the first quartile. Write “Q1” next to that number.
◦ The median can be called the second quartile. Write “Q2” next to that number.
◦ We call the 75th percentile the third quartile. Write “Q3” next to that number.
3. Label the lowest value in the set “minimum” and the greatest value “maximum.”

4. The values you have identified make up the five-number summary for the data set.
Record them here.

minimum: _____ Q1: _____ Q2: _____ Q3: _____ maximum: _____

246
 5. The median of this data set is 20. This tells us that half of the people at the party were
20 years old or younger, and the other half were 20 or older. What do each of these
other values tell us about the ages of the people at the party?

a. the third quartile

b. the minimum

c. the maximum

Are you ready for more?

There was another party where 21 people attended. Here is the five-number summary of
their ages.

minimum: 5 Q1: 6 Q2: 27 Q3: 32 maximum: 60

1. Do you think this party had more children or fewer children than the earlier one?
Explain your reasoning.

2. Were there more children or adults at this party? Explain your reasoning.

Unit 8 Lesson 15 247

 15.3: Range and Interquartile Range
1. Here is a dot plot that shows the lengths of Elena’s bus rides to school, over 12 days.

Write the five-number summary for this data set. Show your reasoning.

2. The range is one way to describe the spread of values in a data set. It is the difference
between the maximum and minimum. What is the range of Elena’s travel times?

3. Another way to describe the spread of values in a data set is the interquartile range
(IQR). It is the difference between the upper quartile and the lower quartile.

a. What is the interquartile range (IQR) of Elena’s travel times?

b. What fraction of the data values are between the lower and upper quartiles?

248
 4. Here are two more dot plots.

Without doing any calculations, predict:

a. Which data set has the smaller range?

b. Which data set has the smaller IQR?

5. Check your predictions by calculating the range and IQR for the data in each dot plot.

Lesson 15 Summary
Earlier we learned that the mean is a measure of the center of a distribution and the MAD
is a measure of the variability (or spread) that goes with the mean. There is also a measure
of spread that goes with the median. It is called the interquartile range (IQR).

Finding the IQR involves splitting a data set into fourths. Each of the three values that splits
the data into fourths is called a quartile.

• The median, or second quartile (Q2), splits the data into two halves.
• The first quartile (Q1) is the middle value of the lower half of the data.
• The third quartile (Q3) is the middle value of the upper half of the data.

Unit 8 Lesson 15 249

 For example, here is a data set with 11 values.

12 19 20 21 22 33 34 35 40 40 49

Q1 Q2 Q3

• The median is 33.

• The first quartile is 20. It is the median of the numbers less than 33.
• The third quartile 40. It is the median of the numbers greater than 33.
The difference between the maximum and minimum values of a data set is the range. The
difference between Q3 and Q1 is the interquartile range (IQR). Because the distance
between Q1 and Q3 includes the middle two-fourths of the distribution, the values
between those two quartiles are sometimes called the middle half of the data.

The bigger the IQR, the more spread out the middle half of the data values are. The
smaller the IQR, the closer together the middle half of the data values are. This is why we
can use the IQR as a measure of spread.

A five-number summary can be used to summarize a distribution. It includes the minimum,

first quartile, median, third quartile, and maximum of the data set. For the previous
example, the five-number summary is 12, 20, 33, 40, and 49. These numbers are marked
with diamonds on the dot plot.

Different data sets can have the same five-number summary. For instance, here is another
data set with the same minimum, maximum, and quartiles as the previous example.

Glossary
• interquartile range (IQR)
• quartile
• range

250
 Lesson 15 Practice Problems
1. Suppose that there are 20 numbers in a data set and that they are all different.

a. How many of the values in this data set are between the first quartile and the
third quartile?

b. How many of the values in this data set are between the first quartile and the
median?

2. In a word game, 1 letter is worth 1 point. This dot plot shows the scores for 20
common words.

a. What is the median score?

b. What is the first quartile (Q1)?

c. What is the third quartile (Q3)?

d. What is the interquartile range (IQR)?

3. Mai and Priya each played 10 games of bowling and recorded the scores. Mai’s
median score was 120, and her IQR was 5. Priya’s median score was 118, and her IQR
was 15. Whose scores probably had less variability? Explain how you know.

Unit 8 Lesson 15 Practice Problems 251

 4. Here are five dot plots that show the amounts of time that ten sixth-grade students
in five countries took to get to school. Match each dot plot with the appropriate
median and IQR.

a. Median: 17.5, IQR: 11

b. Median: 15, IQR: 30

c. Median: 8, IQR: 4

d. Median: 7, IQR: 10

e. Median: 12.5, IQR: 8

5. Draw and label an appropriate pair of axes and plot the points. ,
, ,

(From Unit 7, Lesson 12.)

6. There are 20 pennies in a jar. If 16% of the coins in the jar are pennies, how many
coins are there in the jar?

(From Unit 6, Lesson 7.)

252
 Lesson 16: Box Plots
Let's explore how box plots can help us summarize distributions.

16.1: Notice and Wonder: Puppy Weights

Here are the birth weights, in ounces, of all the puppies born at a kennel in the past
month.

13 14 15 15 16 16 16 16

17 17 17 17 17 17 17 18

18 18 18 18 18 18 18 19

20

What do you notice and wonder about the distribution of the puppy weights?

16.2: Human Box Plot

Your teacher will give you the data on the lengths of names of students in your class. Write
the five-number summary by finding the data set's minimum, Q1, Q2, Q3, and the
maximum.

Pause for additional instructions from your teacher.

Unit 8 Lesson 16 253

 16.3: Studying Blinks
Twenty people participated in a study about blinking. The number of times each person
blinked while watching a video for one minute was recorded. The data values are shown
here, in order from smallest to largest.

3 6 8 11 11 13 14 14

14 14 16 18 20 20 20 22

24 32 36 51

1. a. Use the grid and axis to make a dot plot of this data set.

b. Find the median (Q2) and mark its location on the dot plot.

c. Find the first quartile (Q1) and the third quartile (Q3). Mark their locations on
the dot plot.

d. What are the minimum and maximum values?

2. A box plot can be used to represent the five-number summary graphically. Let’s draw
a box plot for the number-of-blinks data. On the grid, above the dot plot:

a. Draw a box that extends from the first quartile (Q1) to the third quartile (Q3).
Label the quartiles.

b. At the median (Q2), draw a vertical line from the top of the box to the bottom of
the box. Label the median.

c. From the left side of the box (Q1), draw a horizontal line (a whisker) that extends
to the minimum of the data set. On the right side of the box (Q3), draw a similar
line that extends to the maximum of the data set.

254
 3. You have now created a box plot to represent the number of blinks data. What
fraction of the data values are represented by each of these elements of the box
plot?

a. The left whisker

b. The box

c. The right whisker

Are you ready for more?

Suppose there were some errors in the data set: the smallest value should have been 6
instead of 3, and the largest value should have been 41 instead of 51. Determine if any
part of the five-number summary would change. If you think so, describe how it would
change. If not, explain how you know.

Unit 8 Lesson 16 255

 Lesson 16 Summary
A box plot represents the five-number summary of a data set.

It shows the first quartile (Q1) and the third quartile (Q3) as the left and right sides of a
rectangle or a box. The median (Q2) is shown as a vertical segment inside the box. On the
left side, a horizontal line segment—a “whisker”—extends from Q1 to the minimum value.
On the right, a whisker extends from Q3 to the maximum value.

The rectangle in the middle represents the middle half of the data. Its width is the IQR. The
whiskers represent the bottom quarter and top quarter of the data set.

Earlier we saw dot plots representing the weights of pugs and beagles. The box plots for
these data sets are shown above the corresponding dot plots.

We can tell from the box plots that, in general, the pugs in the group are lighter than the
beagles: the median weight of pugs is 7 kilograms and the median weight of beagles is 10
kilograms. Because the two box plots are on the same scale and the rectangles have
similar widths, we can also tell that the IQRs for the two breeds are very similar. This
suggests that the variability in the beagle weights is very similar to the variability in the pug
weights.

Glossary
• box plot

256
 Lesson 16 Practice Problems
1. Each student in a class recorded how many books they read during the summer.
Here is a box plot that summarizes their data.

a. What is the greatest number of books read by a student in this group?

b. What is the median number of books read by the students?

c. What is the interquartile range (IQR)?

2. Use this five-number summary to draw a box plot. All values are in seconds.

◦ Minimum: 40 ◦ Third quartile (Q3): 50

◦ First quartile (Q1): 45 ◦ Maximum: 60
◦ Median: 48

3. The data shows the number of hours per week that each of 13 seventh-grade
students spent doing homework. Create a box plot to summarize the data.

3 10 12 4 7 9 5 5

11 11 5 12 11

Unit 8 Lesson 16 Practice Problems 257

 4. The box plot displays the data on the response times of 100 mice to seeing a flash of
light. How many mice are represented by the rectangle between 0.5 and 1 second?

5. Here is a dot plot that represents a data set. Explain why the mean of the data set is
greater than its median.

(From Unit 8, Lesson 14.)

6. Jada earns money from babysitting, walking her neighbor’s dogs, and running
errands for her aunt. Every four weeks, she combines her earnings and divides them
into three equal parts—one for spending, one for saving, and one for donating to a
charity. Jada donated $26.00 of her earnings from the past four weeks to charity.

How much could she have earned from each job? Make two lists of how much she
could have earned from the three jobs during the past four weeks.

(From Unit 8, Lesson 9.)

258
 Lesson 17: Using Box Plots
Let's use box plots to make comparisons.

17.1: Hours of Slumber

Ten sixth-grade students were asked how much sleep, in hours, they usually get on a
school night. Here is the five-number summary of their responses.

• Minimum: 5 hours • Median: 7.5 hours • Maximum: 9 hours

• First quartile: 7 hours • Third quartile: 8 hours
1. On the grid, draw a box plot for this five-number summary.

2. What questions could be answered by looking at this box plot?

Unit 8 Lesson 17 259

 17.2: Info Gap: Sea Turtles
Your teacher will give you either a Problem Card or a Data Card
about sea turtles that nest on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Do not show or read your card to your partner.

If your teacher gives you the problem card: If your teacher gives you the data card:

1. Silently read your card and think about 1. Silently read your card.
what information you need to be able
to answer the question. 2. Ask your partner “What specific
information do you need?” and wait for
2. Ask your partner for the specific them to ask for information.
information that you need.
If your partner asks for information that
3. Explain how you are using the is not on the card, do not do the
information to solve the problem. calculations for them. Tell them you
don’t have that information.
Continue to ask questions until you
have enough information to solve the 3. Before sharing the information, ask
problem. “Why do you need that information?”
Listen to your partner’s reasoning and
4. Share the problem card and solve the ask clarifying questions.
problem independently.
4. Read the problem card and solve the
5. Read the data card and discuss your problem independently.
reasoning.
5. Share the data card and discuss your
reasoning.

Pause here so your teacher can review your work. Ask your teacher for a new set of cards
and repeat the activity, trading roles with your partner.

260
 17.3: Paper Planes
Andre, Lin, and Noah each designed and built a paper airplane. They launched each plane
several times and recorded the distance of each flight in yards.

Andre

25 26 27 27 27 28 28 28 29 30 30

Lin

20 20 21 24 26 28 28 29 29 30 32

Noah

13 14 15 18 19 20 21 23 23 24 25

Work with your group to summarize the data sets with numbers and box plots.

1. Write the five-number summary for the data for each airplane. Then, calculate the
interquartile range for each data set.

min Q1 median Q3 max IQR

2. Draw three box plots, one for each paper airplane. Label the box plots clearly.

Unit 8 Lesson 17 261

 3. How are the results for Andre and Lin’s planes the same? How are they different?

4. How are the results for Lin and Noah’s planes the same? How are they different?

Are you ready for more?

Priya joined in the paper-plane experiments. She launched her plane eleven times
and recorded the lengths of each flight. She found that her maximum and minimum were
equal to Lin’s. Her IQR was equal to Andre’s.

Draw a box plot that could represent Priya’s data.

With the information given, can you estimate the median for Priya’s data? Explain your
reasoning.

262
 Lesson 17 Summary
Box plots are useful for comparing different groups. Here are two sets of plots that show
the weights of some berries and some grapes.

Notice that the median berry weight is 3.5 grams and the median grape weight is 5 grams.
In both cases, the IQR is 1.5 grams. Because the grapes in this group have a higher median
weight than the berries, we can say a grape in the group is typically heavier than a berry.
Because both groups have the same IQR, we can say that they have a similar variability in
their weights.

These box plots represent the length data for a collection of ladybugs and a collection of
beetles.

The medians of the two collections are the same, but the IQR of the ladybugs is much
smaller. This tells us that a typical ladybug length is similar to a typical beetle length, but
the ladybugs are more alike in their length than the beetles are in their length.

Unit 8 Lesson 17 263

 Lesson 17 Practice Problems
1. Here are box plots that summarize the heights of 20 professional male athletes
in basketball, football, hockey, and baseball.

a. In which two sports are the players’ height distributions most alike? Explain your
reasoning.

b. Which sport shows the greatest variability in players’ heights? Which sport
shows the least variability?

2. Here is a box plot that summarizes data for the time, in minutes, that a fire
department took to respond to 100 emergency calls.

Select all the statements that are true,

according to the dot plot.

A. Most of the response times were under 13 minutes.

B. Fewer than 30 of the response times were over 13 minutes.

C. More than half of the response times were 11 minutes or greater.

D. There were more response times that were greater than 13 minutes than those
that were less than 9 minutes.

E. About 75% of the response times were 13 minutes or less.

264
 3. Pineapples were packed in three large crates. For each crate, the weight of every
pineapple in the crate was recorded. Here are three box plots that summarize the
weights in each crate.

Select all of the statements that are true, according to the box plots.

A. The weights of the pineapples in Crate 1 were the most variable.

B. The heaviest pineapple was in Crate 1.

C. The lightest pineapple was in Crate 1.

D. Crate 3 had the greatest median weight and the greatest IQR.

E. More than half the pineapples in Crate 1 and Crate 3 were heavier than the
heaviest pineapple in Crate 2.

4. Two TV shows each asked 100 viewers for their ages. For one show, the mean age of
the viewers was 35 years and the MAD was 20 years. For the other show, the mean
age of the viewers was 30 years and the MAD was 5 years.

A sixth-grade student says he watches one of the shows. Which show do you think he
watches? Explain your reasoning.

(From Unit 8, Lesson 12.)

Unit 8 Lesson 17 Practice Problems 265

 Lesson 18: Using Data to Solve Problems
Let's compare data sets using visual displays.

18.1: Wild Bears

In one study on wild bears, researchers measured the head lengths and head widths, in
inches, of 143 wild bears. The ages of the bears ranged from newborns (0 years) to 15
years. The box plots summarize the data from the study.

1. Write four statistical questions that could be answered using the box plots: two
questions about the head length and two questions about the head width.

2. Trade questions with your partner.

a. Decide if each question is a statistical question.

b. Use the box plots to answer each question.

266
 18.2: Math Homework (Part 1)
Over a two-week period, Mai recorded the number of math homework problems she had
each school day.

2 15 20 0 5 25 1 0 10 12

1. Calculate the following. Show your reasoning.

a. The mean number of math homework problems

b. The mean absolute deviation (MAD)

2. Interpret the mean and MAD. What do they tell you about the number of homework
problems Mai had over these two weeks?

3. Find or calculate the following values and show your reasoning.

a. The median, quartiles, maximum, and minimum of Mai’s data

b. The interquartile range (IQR)

4. Which pair of measures of center and variability—mean and MAD, or median and
IQR—do you think summarizes the distribution of Mai’s math homework assignments
better? Explain your reasoning.

Unit 8 Lesson 18 267

 18.3: Math Homework (Part 2)
Jada wanted to know whether a dot plot, a histogram, or a box plot would best summarize
the center, variability, and other aspects of her homework data.

2 15 20 0 5 25 1 0 10 12

1. Use the axis to make a dot plot to represent the data. Mark the position of the mean,
which you calculated earlier, on the dot plot using a triangle ( ). From the triangle,
draw a horizontal line segment to the left and right sides to represent the MAD.

2. Draw a box plot that represents Jada’s homework data.

3. Work with your group to draw three histograms to represent Jada’s homework data.
The width of the bars in each histogram should represent a different number of
homework problems, which are specified as follows.

268
 a. The width of one bar represents 10 problems.

b. The width of one bar represents 5 problems.

c. The width of one bar represents 2 problems.

4. Which of the five representations should Jada use to summarize her data? Should she
use a dot plot, box plot, or one of the histograms? Explain your reasoning.

Unit 8 Lesson 18 269

 18.4: Will the Yellow Perch Survive?
Scientists studying the yellow perch, a species of fish, believe that the length of a fish is
related to its age. This means that the longer the fish, the older it is. Adult yellow perch
vary in size, but they are usually between 10 and 25 centimeters.

Scientists at the Great Lakes Water Institute caught, measured, and released yellow perch
at several locations in Lake Michigan. The following summary is based on a sample of
yellow perch from one of these locations.

length of fish in centimeters number of fish

0 to less than 5 5

5 to less than 10 7

10 to less than 15 14

15 to less than 20 20

20 to less than 25 24

25 to less than 30 30

1. Use the data to make a histogram that shows the lengths of the captured yellow
perch. Each bar should contain the lengths shown in each row in the table.

270
 2. How many fish were measured? How do you know?

3. Use the histogram to answer the following questions.

a. How would you describe the shape of the distribution?

b. Estimate the median length for this sample. Describe how you made this
estimate.

c. Predict whether the mean length of this sample is greater than, less than, or
nearly equal to the median length for this sample of fish? Explain your
prediction.

d. Would you use the mean or the median to describe a typical length of the fish
being studied? Explain your reasoning.

Unit 8 Lesson 18 271

 4. Based on your work so far:

a. Would you describe a typical age for the yellow perch in this sample as:
“young,” “adult,” or “old”? Explain your reasoning.

b. Some researchers are concerned about the survival of the yellow perch. Do you
think the lengths (or the ages) of the fish in this sample are something to worry
about? Explain your reasoning.

Lesson 18 Summary
The dot plot shows the distribution of 30 cookie weights in grams.

The mean cookie weight, marked by the triangle, is 21 grams. This tells us that if the
weights of all of the cookies were redistributed so they all had the same weight,
each cookie would weigh 21 grams. The MAD is 5.6 grams, which suggests that a cookie
typically weighs between 15.4 grams and 26.6 grams.

The box plot for the same data set is shown above the dot plot. The median shows that
half of the weights are greater than or equal to 20.5 grams, and half are less than or equal
to 20.5 grams. The box shows that the IQR is 10 and that the middle half of the cookies
weigh between 16 and 26 grams.

In this case, the median weight is very close to the mean weight, and the IQR is about twice
the MAD. This tells us that the two pairs of measures of center and spread are very similar.

272
 Now let’s look at another example of 30 different cookies.

Here the mean is 21 grams, and the MAD is 3.4 grams. This suggests that a cookie typically
weighs between 17.6 and 24.4 grams. The median cookie weight is 23 grams, and the box
plot shows that the middle half of the data are between 20 and 24 grams. These two pairs
of measures paint very different pictures of the variability of the cookie weights.

The median (23 grams) is closer to the middle of the big cluster of values. If we were to
ignore the smaller cookies, the median and IQR would give a more accurate picture of how
much a cookie typically weighs.

When a distribution is not symmetrical, the median and IQR are often better measures of
center and spread than the mean and MAD. However the decision on which pair of
measures to use depends on what we want to know about the group we are investigating.

Unit 8 Lesson 18 273

 Learning Targets
Lesson 1: Got Data?
• I can collect the correct data to answer a question and use the correct units.
• I can explain the difference between categorical and numerical data.
Lesson 2: Statistical Questions
• I can tell when data has variability.
Lesson 3: Representing Data Graphically
• I can describe the information presented in tables, dot plots, and bar graphs.
• I can use tables, dot plots, and bar graphs to represent distributions of data.
Lesson 4: Dot Plots
• I can describe the center and spread of data from a dot plot.
Lesson 5: Using Dot Plots to Answer Statistical Questions
• I can use a dot plot to represent the distribution of a data set and answer questions
about the real-world situation.

• I can use center and spread to describe data sets, including what is typical in a data
set.

Lesson 6: Interpreting Histograms

• I can recognize when a histogram is an appropriate graphical display of a data set.
• I can use a histogram to get information about the distribution of data and explain
what it means in a real-world situation.

Lesson 7: Using Histograms to Answer Statistical Questions

• I can draw a histogram from a table of data.
• I can use a histogram to describe the distribution of data and determine a typical
value for the data.

274
 Lesson 8: Describing Distributions on Histograms
• I can describe the shape and features of a histogram and explain what they mean in
the context of the data.

• I can distinguish histograms and bar graphs.

Lesson 9: Mean
• I can explain how the mean for a data set represents a “fair share.”
• I can find the mean for a numerical data set.
Lesson 10: Finding and Interpreting the Mean as the Balance Point
• I can describe what the mean tells us in the context of the data.
• I can explain how the mean represents a balance point for the data on a dot plot.
Lesson 11: Variability and MAD
• I can find the MAD for a set of data.
• I know what the mean absolute deviation (MAD) measures and what information it
provides.

Lesson 12: Using Mean and MAD to Make Comparisons

• I can say what the MAD tells us in a given context.
• I can use means and MADs to compare groups.
Lesson 13: Median
• I can find the median for a set of data.
• I can say what the median represents and what it tells us in a given context.
Lesson 14: Comparing Mean and Median
• I can determine when the mean or the median is more appropriate to describe the
center of data.

• I can explain how the distribution of data affects the mean and the median.

Unit 8 Learning Targets 275

 Lesson 15: Quartiles and Interquartile Range
• I can use IQR to describe the spread of data.
• I know what quartiles and interquartile range (IQR) measure and what they tell us
about the data.

• When given a list of data values or a dot plot, I can find the quartiles and interquartile
range (IQR) for data.

Lesson 16: Box Plots

• I can use the five-number summary to draw a box plot.
• I know what information a box plot shows and how it is constructed.
Lesson 17: Using Box Plots
• I can use a box plot to answer questions about a data set.
• I can use medians and IQRs to compare groups.
Lesson 18: Using Data to Solve Problems
• I can decide whether mean and MAD or median and IQR would be more appropriate
for describing the center and spread of a data set.

• I can draw an appropriate graphical representation for a set of data.

• I can explain what the mean and MAD or the median and IQR tell us in the context of
a situation and use them to answer questions.

276
GRADE 6

9
Unit

STUDENT WORKBOOK
Book 3
 Lesson 1: Fermi Problems
Let’s make some estimates.

1.1: Ant Trek

How long would it take an ant to run from Los Angeles to New York City?

1.2: Stacks and Stacks of Cereal Boxes

Imagine a warehouse that has a rectangular floor and that contains all of the boxes of
breakfast cereal bought in the United States in one year.

If the warehouse is 10 feet tall, what could the side lengths of the floor be?

278
 1.3: Covering the Washington Monument
How many tiles would it take to cover the
Washington Monument?

Unit 9 Lesson 1 279

 Lesson 2: If Our Class Were the World
Let’s use math to better understand our world.

2.1: All 7.4 Billion of Us

There are 7.4 billion people in the world. If the whole world were represented by a
30-person class:

• 14 people would eat rice as their main food.

• 12 people would be under the age of 20.
• 5 people would be from Africa.
1. How many people in the class would not eat rice as their main food?

2. What percentage of the people in the class would be under the age of 20?

3. Based on the number of people in the class representing people from Africa, how
many people live in Africa?

2.2: About the People in the World

With the members of your group, write a list of questions about the people in the world.
Your questions should begin with “How many people in the world. . .” Then, choose several
questions on the list that you find most interesting.

280
 2.3: If Our Class Were the World
Suppose your class represents all the people in the world.

Choose several characteristics about the world’s population that you have investigated.
Find the number of students in your class that would have the same characteristics.

Create a visual display that includes a diagram that represents this information. Give your
display the title “If Our Class Were the World.”

Unit 9 Lesson 2 281

 Lesson 3: Rectangle Madness
Let’s cut up rectangles.

3.1: Squares in Rectangles

1. Rectangle is not a square. Rectangle is a square.

a. Suppose segment were 5 units long and segment were 2 units long.
How long would segment be?

b. Suppose segment were 10 units long and segment were 6 units long.
How long would segment be?

c. Suppose segment were 12 units long and segment were 5 units long.
How long would segment be?

d. Suppose segment were 9 units long and segment were 5 units long.
How long would segment be?

282
 2. Rectangle has been decomposed into squares.

Segment is 33 units long and segment is 75 units long. Find the areas of all
of the squares in the diagram.

3. Rectangle is 16 units by 5 units.

a. In the diagram, draw a line segment that decomposes into two regions:
a square that is the largest possible and a new rectangle.

b. Draw another line segment that decomposes the new rectangle into two
regions: a square that is the largest possible and another new rectangle.

c. Keep going until rectangle is entirely decomposed into squares.

d. List the side lengths of all the squares in your diagram.

Unit 9 Lesson 3 283

 Are you ready for more?

1. The diagram shows that rectangle has been decomposed into

three squares. What could the side lengths of this rectangle be?

2. How many different side lengths can you find for rectangle ?

3. What are some rules for possible side lengths of rectangle ?

284
 3.2: More Rectangles, More Squares
1. Draw a rectangle that is 21 units by 6 units.

a. In your rectangle, draw a line segment that decomposes the rectangle into a
new rectangle and a square that is as large as possible. Continue until the
diagram shows that your original rectangle has been entirely decomposed into
squares.

b. How many squares of each size are in your diagram?

c. What is the side length of the smallest square?

2. Draw a rectangle that is 28 units by 12 units.

a. In your rectangle, draw a line segment that decomposes the rectangle into a
new rectangle and a square that is as large as possible. Continue until the
diagram shows that your original rectangle has been decomposed into squares.

b. How many squares of each size are in your diagram?

c. What is the side length of the smallest square?

Unit 9 Lesson 3 285

 3. Write each of these fractions as a mixed number with the smallest possible
numerator and denominator:

a.

b.

c.

4. What do the fraction problems have to do with the previous rectangle decomposition
problems?

3.3: Finding Equivalent Fractions

1. Accurately draw a rectangle that is 9 units by 4 units.

a. In your rectangle, draw a line segment that decomposes the rectangle into a
new rectangle and a square that is as large as possible. Continue until your
original rectangle has been entirely decomposed into squares.

b. How many squares of each size are there?

c. What are the side lengths of the last square you drew?

d. Write as a mixed number.

286
 2. Accurately draw a rectangle that is 27 units by 12 units.

a. In your rectangle, draw a line segment that decomposes the rectangle into a
new rectangle and a square that is as large as possible. Continue until your
original rectangle has been entirely decomposed into squares.

b. How many squares of each size are there?

c. What are the side lengths of the last square you drew?

d. Write as a mixed number.

e. Compare the diagram you drew for this problem and the one for the previous
problem. How are they the same? How are they different?

3. What is the greatest common factor of 9 and 4? What is the greatest common factor
of 27 and 12? What does this have to do with your diagrams of decomposed
rectangles?

Unit 9 Lesson 3 287

 Are you ready for more?
We have seen some examples of rectangle tilings. A tiling means a way to completely cover
a shape with other shapes, without any gaps or overlaps. For example, here is a tiling of
rectangle with 2 large squares, 3 medium squares, 1 small square, and 2 tiny
squares.

Some of the squares used to tile this rectangle have the same size.

Might it be possible to tile a rectangle with squares where the squares are all different sizes?

If you think it is possible, find such a rectangle and such a tiling. If you think it is not
possible, explain why it is not possible.

288
 3.4: It’s All About Fractions
1. Accurately draw a 37-by-16 rectangle. (Use graph paper, if possible.)

a. In your rectangle, draw a line segment that decomposes the rectangle into a
new rectangle and a square that is as large as possible. Continue until your
original rectangle has been entirely decomposed into squares.

b. How many squares of each size are there?

c. What are the dimensions of the last square you drew?

d. What does this have to do with ?

Unit 9 Lesson 3 289

 2. Consider a 52-by-15 rectangle.

a. In your rectangle, draw a line segment that decomposes the rectangle into a
new rectangle and a square that is as large as possible. Continue until your
original rectangle has been entirely decomposed into squares.

b. Write a fraction equal to this expression: .

c. Notice some connections between the rectangle and the fraction.

d. What is the greatest common factor of 52 and 15?

290
 3. Consider a 98-by-21 rectangle.

a. In your rectangle, draw a line segment that decomposes the rectangle into a
new rectangle and a square that is as large as possible. Continue until your
original rectangle has been entirely decomposed into squares.

b. Write a fraction equal to this expression: .

c. Notice some connections between the rectangle and the fraction.

d. What is the greatest common factor of 98 and 21?

Unit 9 Lesson 3 291

 4. Consider a 121-by-38 rectangle.

a. Use the decomposition-into-squares process to write a continued fraction for

. Verify that it works.

b. What is the greatest common factor of 121 and 38?

292
 Lesson 4: How Do We Choose?
Let's vote and choose a winner!

4.1: Which Was “Yessier”?

Two sixth-grade classes, A and B, voted on whether to give the answers to their math
problems in poetry. The “yes” choice was more popular in both classes.

yes no

class A 24 16

class B 18 9

Was one class more in favor of math poetry, or were they equally in favor? Find three or
more ways to answer the question.

Unit 9 Lesson 4 293

 4.2: Which Class Voted Purpler?
The school will be painted over the summer. Students get to vote on whether to change
the color to purple (a “yes” vote), or keep it a beige color (a “no” vote).

The principal of the school decided to

analyze voting results by class. The table yes no
shows some results.
class A 26 14
In both classes, a majority voted for changing
the paint color to purple. Which class was class B 31 19
more in favor of changing?

4.3: Supermajorities
1. Another school is also voting on whether to change their school’s color to purple.
Their rules require a supermajority to change the colors. A total of 240 people
voted, and 153 voted to change to purple. Were there enough votes to make the
change?

2. This school also is thinking of changing their mascot to an armadillo. To change

mascots, a 55% supermajority is needed. How many of the 240 students need to vote
“yes” for the mascot to change?

3. At this school, which requires more votes to pass: a change of mascot or a change of
color?

294
 4.4: Best Restaurant
A town’s newspaper held a contest to decide the best restaurant in town. Only people who
subscribe to the newspaper can vote. 25% of the people in town subscribe to the
newspaper. 20% of the subscribers voted. 80% of the people who voted liked Darnell’s
BBQ Pit best.

Darnell put a big sign in his restaurant’s window that said, “80% say Darnell’s is the best!”

Do you think Darnell’s sign is making an accurate statement? Support your answer with:

• Some calculations
• An explanation in words
• A diagram that accurately represents the people in town, the newspaper subscribers,
the voters, and the people who liked Darnell’s best

Unit 9 Lesson 4 295

 Lesson 5: More than Two Choices
Let's explore different ways to determine a winner.

5.1: Field Day

Students in a sixth-grade class were asked, “What activity would you most like to do for
field day?” The results are shown in the table.

activity number of votes

softball game 16

scavenger hunt 10

dancing talent show 8

marshmallow throw 4

no preference 2

1. What percentage of the class voted for softball?

2. What percentage did not vote for softball as their first choice?

296
 5.2: School Lunches (Part 1)
Suppose students at our school are voting for the lunch menu over the course of one
week. The following is a list of options provided by the caterer.

Menu 1: Meat Lovers Menu 2: Vegetarian

• Meat loaf • Vegetable soup and peanut butter

• Hot dogs sandwich

• Pork cutlets • Hummus, pita, and veggie sticks

• Beef stew • Veggie burgers and fries
• Liver and onions • Chef’s salad
• Cheese pizza every day
• Double desserts every day
Menu 3: Something for Everyone Menu 4: Concession Stand

• Chicken nuggets • Choice of hamburger or hot dog, with

• Burgers and fries fries, every day

• Pizza
• Tacos
• Leftover day (all the week’s leftovers
made into a casserole)
• Bonus side dish: pea jello (green gelatin
with canned peas)

To vote, draw one of the following symbols next to each menu option to show your first,
second, third, and last choices. If you use the slips of paper from your teacher, use only
the column that says “symbol.”

1. Meat Lovers __________

2. Vegetarian __________

3. Something for Everyone __________

4. Concession Stand __________

Unit 9 Lesson 5 297

 Here are two voting systems that can be used to determine the winner.

• Voting System #1. Plurality: The option with the most first-choice votes (stars) wins.
• Voting System #2. Runoff: If no choice received a majority of the votes, leave out the
choice that received the fewest first-choice votes (stars). Then have another vote.

If your first vote is still a choice, vote for that. If not, vote for your second choice that
you wrote down.

If there is still no majority, leave out the choice that got the fewest votes, and then
vote again. Vote for your first choice if it’s still in, and if not, vote for your second
choice. If your second choice is also out, vote for your third choice.

1. How many people in our class are voting? How many votes does it take to win a
majority?

2. How many votes did the top option receive? Was this a majority of the votes?

3. People tend to be more satisfied with election results if their top choices win. For how
many, and what percentage, of people was the winning option:

a. their first choice?

b. their second choice?

c. their third choice?

d. their last choice?

298
 4. After the second round of voting, did any choice get a majority? If so, is it the same
choice that got a plurality in Voting System #1?

5. Which choice won?

6. How satisfied were the voters by the election results? For how many, and what
percentage, of people was the winning option:

a. their first choice?

b. their second choice?

c. their third choice?

d. their last choice?

7. Compare the satisfaction results for the plurality voting rule and the runoff rule. Did
one produce satisfactory results for more people than the other?

Unit 9 Lesson 5 299

 5.3: School Lunch (Part 2)
Let’s analyze a different election.

In another class, there are four clubs. Everyone in each club agrees to vote for the lunch
menu exactly the same way, as shown in this table.

1. Figure out which option won the election by answering these questions.

a. On the first vote, when everyone voted for their first choice, how many votes did
each option get? Did any choice get a majority?

b. Which option is removed from the next vote?

c. On the second vote, how many votes did each of the remaining three menu
options get? Did any option get a majority?

d. Which menu option is removed from the next vote?

e. On the third vote, how many votes did each of the remaining two options get?
Which option won?

300
 2. Estimate how satisfied all the voters were.

a. For how many people was the winner their first choice?

b. For how many people was the winner their second choice?

c. For how many people was the winner their third choice?

d. For how many people was the winner their last choice?

3. Compare the satisfaction results for the plurality voting rule and the runoff rule. Did
one produce satisfactory results for more people than the other?

5.4: Just Vote Once

Your class just voted using the instant runoff system. Use the class data for following
questions.

1. For our class, which choice received the most points?

2. Does this result agree with that from the runoff election in an earlier activity?

3. For the other class, which choice received the most points?

4. Does this result agree with that from the runoff election in an earlier activity?

Unit 9 Lesson 5 301

 5. The runoff method uses information about people’s first, second, third, and last
choices when it is not clear that there is a winner from everyone’s first choices. How
does the instant runoff method include the same information?

6. After comparing the results for the three voting rules (plurality, runoff, instant runoff)
and the satisfaction surveys, which method do you think is fairest? Explain.

Are you ready for more?

Numbering your choices 0 through 3 might not really describe your opinions. For example,
what if you really liked A and C a lot, and you really hated B and D? You might want to give
A and C both a 3, and B and D both a 0.

1. Design a numbering system where the size of the number accurately shows how
much you like a choice. Some ideas:

◦ The same 0 to 3 scale, but you can choose more than one of each number, or
even decimals between 0 and 3.
◦ A scale of 1 to 10, with 10 for the best and 1 for the worst.

2. Try out your system with the people in your group, using the same school lunch
options for the election.

3. Do you think your system gives a more fair way to make choices? Explain your
reasoning.

302
 5.5: Weekend Choices
Clare, Han, Mai, Tyler, and Noah are deciding what to do on the weekend. Their options
are cooking, hiking, and bowling. Here are the points for their instant runoff vote. Each
first choice gets 2 points, the second choice gets 1 point, and the last choice gets 0 points.

cooking hiking bowling

Clare 2 1 0

Han 2 1 0

Mai 2 1 0

Tyler 0 2 1

Noah 0 2 1

1. Which activity won using the instant runoff method? Show your calculations and use
expressions or equations.

2. Which activity would have won if there was just a vote for their top choice, with a
majority or plurality winning?

3. Which activity would have won if there was a runoff election?

4. Explain why this happened.

Unit 9 Lesson 5 303

 Lesson 6: Picking Representatives
Let's think about fair representation.

6.1: Computers for Kids

A program gives computers to families with school-aged children. They have a certain
number of computers to distribute fairly between several families. How many computers
should each family get?

1. One month the program has 8 computers. The families have these numbers of
school-aged children: 4, 2, 6, 2, 2.

a. How many children are there in all?

b. Counting all the children in all the families, how many children would use
each computer? This is the number of children per computer. Call this number
.

c. Fill in the third column of the table. Decide how many computers to give to each
family if we use as the basis for distributing the computers.

family number of children number of computers, using

Baum 4

Chu 2

Davila 6

Eno 2

Farouz 2

d. Check that 8 computers have been given out in all.

304
 2. The next month they again have 8 computers. There are different families with these
numbers of children: 3, 1, 2, 5, 1, 8.

a. How many children are there in all?

b. Counting all the children in all the families, how many children would use
each computer? This is the number of children per computer. Call this number
.

c. Does it make sense that is not a whole number? Why?

d. Fill in the third column of the table. Decide how many computers to give to each
family if we use as the basis for distributing the computers.

number number of number of children per

family of computers, computers, computer,
children using your way your way

Gray 3

Hernandez 1

Ito 2

Jones 5

Krantz 1

Lo 8

e. Check that 8 computers have been given out in all.

f. Does it make sense that the number of computers for one family is not a whole
number? Explain your reasoning.

g. Find and describe a way to distribute computers to the families so that each
family gets a whole number of computers. Fill in the fourth column of the table.

Unit 9 Lesson 6 305

 h. Compute the number of children per computer in each family and fill in the last
column of the table.

i. Do you think your way of distributing the computers is fair? Explain your
reasoning.

6.2: School Mascot (Part 1)

A school is deciding on a school mascot. They have
narrowed the choices down to the Banana Slugs or the Sea
Lions.

The principal decided that each class gets one vote. Each
class held an election, and the winning choice was the one
vote for the whole class. The table shows how three classes
voted.

banana slugs sea lions class vote

class A 9 3 banana slug

class B 14 10

class C 6 30

1. Which mascot won, according to the principal’s plan? What percentage of the votes
did the winner get under this plan?

2. Which mascot received the most student votes in all? What percentage of the votes
did this mascot receive?

306
 3. The students thought this plan was not very fair. They suggested that bigger classes
should have more votes to send to the principal. Make up a proposal for the principal
where there are as few votes as possible, but the votes proportionally represent the
number of students in each class.

4. Decide how to assign the votes for the results in the class. (Do they all go to the
winner? Or should the loser still get some votes?)

5. In your system, which mascot is the winner?

6. In your system, how many representative votes are there? How many students does
each vote represent?

6.3: Advising the School Board

1. In a very small school district, there are four schools, D, E, F, and G. The district wants
a total of 10 advisors for the students. Each school should have at least one advisor.

school number of students number of advisors, using

D 48

E 12

F 24

G 36

a. How many students are in this district in all?

b. If the advisors could represent students at different schools, how many

students per advisor should there be? Call this number .

c. Using students per advisor, how many advisors should each school have?
Complete the table with this information for schools D, E, F, and G.

Unit 9 Lesson 6 307

 2. Another district has four schools; some are large, others are small. The district wants
10 advisors in all. Each school should have at least one advisor.

number of number of students per

number of
school advisors, advisors, advisor,
students
using your way your way

Dr. King
500
School

O’Connor
200
School

Science
Magnet 140
School

Trombone
10
Academy

a. How many students are in this district in all?

b. If the advisors didn’t have to represent students at the same school, how many
students per advisor should there be? Call this number .

c. Using students per advisor, how many advisors should each school have?
Give your quotients to the tenths place. Fill in the first “number of advisors”
column of the table. Does it make sense to have a tenth of an advisor?

d. Decide on a consistent way to assign advisors to schools so that there are only
whole numbers of advisors for each school, and there is a total of 10 advisors
among the schools. Fill in the “your way” column of the table.

e. How many students per advisor are there at each school? Fill in the last row of
the table.

f. Do you think this is a fair way to assign advisors? Explain your reasoning.

308
 6.4: School Mascot (Part 2)
The whole town gets interested in choosing a mascot. The mayor of the town decides to
choose representatives to vote.

There are 50 blocks in the town, and the people on each block tend to have the same
opinion about which mascot is best. Green blocks like sea lions, and gold blocks like
banana slugs. The mayor decides to have 5 representatives, each representing a district of
10 blocks.

Here is a map of the town, with preferences shown.

1. Suppose there were an election with each block getting one vote. How many votes
would be for banana slugs? For sea lions? What percentage of the vote would be for
banana slugs?

Unit 9 Lesson 6 309

 2. Suppose the districts are shown in the next map. What did the people in each district
prefer? What did their representative vote? Which mascot would win the election?

Complete the table with this election’s results.

number of number of percentage of

representative’s
district blocks for blocks for blocks for
vote
banana slugs sea lions banana slugs

1 10 0 banana slugs

310
 3. Suppose, instead, that the districts are shown in the new map below. What did the
people in each district prefer? What did their representative vote? Which mascot
would win the election?

Complete the table with this election’s results.

number of number of percentage of

representative’s
district blocks for blocks for blocks for
vote
banana slugs sea lions banana slugs

Unit 9 Lesson 6 311

 4. Suppose the districts are designed in yet another way, as shown in the next map.
What did the people in each district prefer? What did their representative vote?
Which mascot would win the election?

Complete the table with this election’s results.

number of number of percentage of

representative’s
district blocks for blocks for blocks for
vote
banana slugs sea lions banana slugs

5. Write a headline for the local newspaper for each of the ways of splitting the town
into districts.

6. Which systems on the three maps of districts do you think are more fair? Are any
totally unfair?

312
 6.5: Fair and Unfair Districts
1. Smallville’s map is shown, with opinions shown by block in green and gold.
Decompose the map to create three connected, equal-area districts in two ways:

a. Design three districts

where green will win at
least two of the three
districts. Record results in
Table 1.

Table 1:

number of number of percentage

representative’s
district blocks blocks of blocks
vote
for green for gold for green

b. Design three districts

where gold will win at least
two of the three districts.
Record results in Table 2.

Table 2:

number of number of percentage

representative’s
district blocks blocks of blocks
vote
for green for gold for green

Unit 9 Lesson 6 313

 2. Squaretown’s map is shown, with opinions by block shown in green and gold.
Decompose the map to create five connected, equal-area districts in two ways:

a. Design five districts where green will win at least three of the five districts.
Record the results in Table 3.

Table 3:

number of number of percentage

representative’s
district blocks blocks of blocks
vote
for green for gold for green

314
 b. Design five districts where gold will win at least three of the five districts. Record
the results in Table 4.

Table 4:

percentage
number of blocks number of blocks representative’s
district of blocks
for green for gold vote
for green

Unit 9 Lesson 6 315

 3. Mountain Valley’s map is shown, with opinions by block shown in green and gold.
(This is a town in a narrow valley in the mountains.) Can you decompose the map to
create three connected, equal-area districts in the two ways described here?

a. Design three
districts where
green will win at
least 2 of the 3
districts. Record the
results in Table 5.

Table 5:

number of number of percentage

representative’s
district blocks blocks of blocks
vote
for green for gold for green

b. Design three
districts where gold
will win at least 2 of
the 3 districts.
Record the results
in Table 6.

Table 6:

number of number of percentage

representative’s
district blocks blocks of blocks
vote
for green for gold for green

316
 Glossary
absolute value
The absolute value of a number is its distance from 0 on the number line.

The absolute value of -7 is 7, because it is 7 units away from 0. The absolute value of 5 is 5,
because it is 5 units away from 0.

area
Area is the number of square units that cover a two-dimensional region, without any gaps
or overlaps.

For example, the area of region A is 8 square

units. The area of the shaded region of B is
square unit.

average
The average is another name for the mean of a data set.

For the data set 3, 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, the average is 7.5.

base (of a parallelogram or triangle)

We can choose any side of a parallelogram or triangle to be the shape’s base. Sometimes
we use the word base to refer to the length of this side.

Glossary 317
 base (of a prism or pyramid)
The word base can also refer to a face of a polyhedron.

A prism has two identical bases that

are parallel. A pyramid has one base.

A prism or pyramid is named for the

shape of its base.

box plot
A box plot is a way to represent data on a number line. The data is divided into four
sections. The sides of the box represent the first and third quartiles. A line inside the box
represents the median. Lines outside the box connect to the minimum and maximum
values.

For example, this box plot shows a data set with a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 15.
The median is 6, the first quartile is 5, and the third quartile is 10.

categorical data
A set of categorical data has values that are words instead of numbers.

For example, Han asks 5 friends to name their favorite color. Their answers are: blue, blue,
green, blue, orange.

center
The center of a set of numerical data is a value in the middle of the distribution. It
represents a typical value for the data set.

318
 For example, the center of this distribution of cat weights is between 4.5 and 5 kilograms.

coefficient
A coefficient is a number that is multiplied by a variable.

For example, in the expression , the coefficient of is 3. In the expression , the

coefficient of is 1, because .

common factor
A common factor of two numbers is a number that divides evenly into both numbers. For
example, 5 is a common factor of 15 and 20, because and . Both of
the quotients, 3 and 4, are whole numbers.

• The factors of 15 are 1, 3, 5, and 15.

• The factors of 20 are 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, and 20.
common multiple
A common multiple of two numbers is a product you can get by multiplying each of the
two numbers by some whole number. For example, 30 is a common multiple of 3 and 5,
because and . Both of the factors, 10 and 6, are whole numbers.

• The multiples of 3 are 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33 . . .
• The multiples of 5 are 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 . . .
The common multiples of 3 and 5 are 15, 30, 45, 60 . . .

compose
Compose means “put together.” We use the word compose to describe putting more than
one figure together to make a new shape.

Glossary 319
 coordinate plane
The coordinate plane is a system for telling
where points are. For example. point is
located at on the coordinate plane,
because it is three units to the right and two
units up.

cubed
We use the word cubed to mean “to the third power.” This is because a cube with side
length has a volume of , or .

decompose
Decompose means “take apart.” We use the word decompose to describe taking a figure
apart to make more than one new shape.

320
 dependent variable
The dependent variable is the result of a
calculation.

For example, a boat travels at a constant

speed of 25 miles per hour. The equation
describes the relationship between
the boat's distance and time. The dependent
variable is the distance traveled, because is
the result of multiplying 25 by .

distribution
The distribution tells how many times each value occurs in a data set. For example, in the
data set blue, blue, green, blue, orange, the distribution is 3 blues, 1 green, and 1 orange.

Here is a dot plot that shows the distribution for the data set 6, 10, 7, 35, 7, 36, 32, 10, 7,
35.

dot plot
A dot plot is a way to represent data on a number line. Each time a value appears in the
data set, we put another dot above that number on the number line.

For example, in this dot plot there are three dots above the 9. This means that three
different plants had a height of 9 cm.

Glossary 321
 double number line diagram
A double number line diagram uses a pair of parallel number lines to represent equivalent
ratios. The locations of the tick marks match on both number lines. The tick marks labeled
0 line up, but the other numbers are usually different.

edge
Each straight side of a polygon is called an edge.

For example, the edges of this polygon are segments ,

, , , and .

equivalent expressions
Equivalent expressions are always equal to each other. If the expressions have variables,
they are equal whenever the same value is used for the variable in each expression.

For example, is equivalent to . No matter what value we use for , these

expressions are always equal. When is 3, both expressions equal 21. When is 10, both
expressions equal 70.

equivalent ratios
Two ratios are equivalent if you can multiply each of the numbers in the first ratio by the
same factor to get the numbers in the second ratio. For example, is equivalent to
, because and .

322
 A recipe for lemonade says to use 8 cups of
water and 6 lemons. If we use 4 cups of cups of water number of lemons
water and 3 lemons, it will make half as
much lemonade. Both recipes taste the 8 6
same, because and are equivalent ratios.
4 3

exponent
In expressions like and , the 3 and the 2 are called exponents. They tell you how
many factors to multiply. For example, = , and .

face
Each flat side of a polyhedron is called a face. For example, a cube has 6 faces, and they
are all squares.

frequency
The frequency of a data value is how many
times it occurs in the data set. color frequency

For example, there were 20 dogs in a park. white 4

The table shows the frequency of each color.
brown 7

black 3

multi-color 6

greatest common factor

The greatest common factor of two numbers is the largest number that divides evenly into
both numbers. Sometimes we call this the GCF. For example, 15 is the greatest common
factor of 45 and 60.

• The factors of 45 are 1, 3, 5, 9, 15, and 45.

• The factors of 60 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, and 60.

Glossary 323
 height (of a parallelogram or triangle)
The height is the shortest distance from the base of the shape to the opposite side (for a
parallelogram) or opposite vertex (for a triangle).

We can show the height in more than

one place, but it will always be
perpendicular to the chosen base.

histogram
A histogram is a way to represent data on a number line. Data values are grouped by
ranges. The height of the bar shows how many data values are in that group.

This histogram shows there were 10 people

who earned 2 or 3 tickets. We can't tell how
many of them earned 2 tickets or how many
earned 3. Each bar includes the left-end
value but not the right-end value. (There
were 5 people who earned 0 or 1 tickets and
13 people who earned 6 or 7 tickets.)

324
 independent variable
The independent variable is used to calculate
the value of another variable.

For example, a boat travels at a constant

speed of 25 miles per hour. The equation
describes the relationship between
the boat's distance and time. The
independent variable is time, because is
multiplied by 25 to get .

interquartile range (IQR)

The interquartile range is one way to measure how spread out a data set is. We sometimes
call this the IQR. To find the interquartile range we subtract the first quartile from the third
quartile.

For example, the IQR of this data set is 20 because .

22 29 30 31 32 43 44 45 50 50 59

Q1 Q2 Q3

least common multiple

The least common multiple of two numbers is the smallest product you can get by
multiplying each of the two numbers by some whole number. Sometimes we call this the
LCM. For example, 30 is the least common multiple of 6 and 10.

• The multiples of 6 are 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54, 60 . . .
• The multiples of 10 are 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 . . .

Glossary 325
 long division
Long division is a way to show the steps for dividing numbers in
decimal form. It finds the quotient one digit at a time, from left to
right.

For example, here is the long division for .

mean
The mean is one way to measure the center of a data set. We can think of it as a balance
point. For example, for the data set 7, 9, 12, 13, 14, the mean is 11.

To find the mean, add up all the numbers in the data set. Then, divide by how many
numbers there are. and .

mean absolute deviation (MAD)

The mean absolute deviation is one way to measure how spread out a data set is.
Sometimes we call this the MAD. For example, for the data set 7, 9, 12, 13, 14, the MAD is
2.4. This tells us that these travel times are typically 2.4 minutes away from the mean,
which is 11.

326
 To find the MAD, add up the distance between each data point and the mean. Then, divide
by how many numbers there are.

and

measure of center
A measure of center is a value that seems typical for a data distribution.

Mean and median are both measures of center.

median
The median is one way to measure the center of a data set. It is the middle number when
the data set is listed in order.

For the data set 7, 9, 12, 13, 14, the median is 12.

For the data set 3, 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, there are two numbers in the middle. The median is the
average of these two numbers. and .

meters per second

Meters per second is a unit for measuring speed. It tells how many meters an object goes
in one second.

For example, a person walking 3 meters per second is going faster than another person
walking 2 meters per second.

negative number
A negative number is a number that is less than zero. On a horizontal number line,
negative numbers are usually shown to the left of 0.

net
A net is a two-dimensional figure that can be folded to make a
polyhedron.

Here is a net for a cube.

Glossary 327
 numerical data
A set of numerical data has values that are numbers.

For example, Han lists the ages of people in his family: 7, 10, 12, 36, 40, 67.

opposite
Two numbers are opposites if they are the same distance from 0 and on different sides of
the number line.

For example, 4 is the opposite of -4, and -4 is the opposite of 4. They are both the same
distance from 0. One is negative, and the other is positive.

opposite vertex
For each side of a triangle, there is one vertex that is not on
that side. This is the opposite vertex.

For example, point is the opposite vertex to side .

pace
Pace is one way to describe how fast something is moving. Pace tells how much time it
takes the object to travel a certain distance.

For example, Diego walks at a pace of 10 minutes per mile. Elena walks at a pace of 11
minutes per mile. Elena walks slower than Diego, because it takes her more time to travel
the same distance.

parallelogram
A parallelogram is a type of quadrilateral that has two pairs of parallel sides.

Here are two examples of parallelograms.

328
 per
The word per means “for each.” For example, if the price is $5 per ticket, that means you
will pay $5 for each ticket. Buying 4 tickets would cost $20, because .

percent
The word percent means “for each 100.” The symbol for percent is %.

For example, a quarter is worth 25 cents, and a dollar is worth 100 cents. We can say that a
quarter is worth 25% of a dollar.

percentage
A percentage is a rate per 100.

For example, a fish tank can hold 36 liters. Right now there is 27 liters of water in the tank.
The percentage of the tank that is full is 75%.

polygon
A polygon is a closed, two-dimensional shape with straight
sides that do not cross each other.

Figure is an example of a polygon.

Glossary 329
 polyhedron
A polyhedron is a closed, three-dimensional shape with flat sides. When we have more
than one polyhedron, we call them polyhedra.

Here are some drawings of polyhedra.

positive number
A positive number is a number that is greater than zero. On a horizontal number line,
positive numbers are usually shown to the right of 0.

prism
A prism is a type of polyhedron that has two bases that are identical copies of each other.
The bases are connected by rectangles or parallelograms.

Here are some drawings of prisms.

pyramid
A pyramid is a type of polyhedron that has one base. All the other faces are triangles, and
they all meet at a single vertex.

330
 Here are some drawings of pyramids.

quadrant
The coordinate plane is divided into 4 regions called quadrants. The quadrants are
numbered using Roman numerals, starting in the top right corner.

quadrilateral
A quadrilateral is a type of polygon that has 4 sides. A rectangle is an example of a
quadrilateral. A pentagon is not a quadrilateral, because it has 5 sides.

quartile
Quartiles are the numbers that divide a data set into four sections that each have the
same number of values.

For example, in this data set the first quartile is 30. The second quartile is the same thing
as the median, which is 43. The third quartile is 50.

22 29 30 31 32 43 44 45 50 50 59

Q1 Q2 Q3

range
The range is the distance between the smallest and largest values in a data set. For
example, for the data set 3, 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, the range is 9, because .

Glossary 331
 ratio
A ratio is an association between two or more quantities.

For example, the ratio could describe a recipe

that uses 3 cups of flour for every 2 eggs, or a boat
that moves 3 meters every 2 seconds. One way to
represent the ratio is with a diagram that has 3
blue squares for every 2 green squares.

rational number
A rational number is a fraction or the opposite of a fraction.

For example, 8 and -8 are rational numbers because they can be written as and .

Also, 0.75 and -0.75 are rational numbers because they can be written as and .

reciprocal
Dividing 1 by a number gives the reciprocal of that number. For example, the reciprocal of
12 is , and the reciprocal of is .

region
A region is the space inside of a shape. Some examples of two-dimensional regions are
inside a circle or inside a polygon. Some examples of three-dimensional regions are the
inside of a cube or the inside of a sphere.

same rate
We use the words same rate to describe two situations that have equivalent ratios.

For example, a sink is filling with water at a rate of 2 gallons per minute. If a tub is also
filling with water at a rate of 2 gallons per minute, then the sink and the tub are filling at
the same rate.

sign
The sign of any number other than 0 is either positive or negative.

For example, the sign of 6 is positive. The sign of -6 is negative. Zero does not have a sign,
because it is not positive or negative.

solution to an equation
A solution to an equation is a number that can be used in place of the variable to make the
equation true.

332
 For example, 7 is the solution to the equation , because it is true that .
The solution to is not 9, because .

solution to an inequality
A solution to an inequality is a number that can be used in place of the variable to make
the inequality true.

For example, 5 is a solution to the inequality , because it is true that . Some

other solutions to this inequality are 9.9, 0, and -4.

speed
Speed is one way to describe how fast something is moving. Speed tells how much
distance the object travels in a certain amount of time.

For example, Tyler walks at a speed of 4 miles per hour. Priya walks at a speed of 5 miles
per hour. Priya walks faster than Tyler, because she travels more distance in the
same amount of time.

spread
The spread of a set of numerical data tells how far apart the values are.

For example, the dot plots show that the travel times for students in South Africa are more
spread out than for New Zealand.

squared
We use the word squared to mean “to the second power.” This is because a square with
side length has an area of , or .

statistical question
A statistical question can be answered by collecting data that has variability. Here are
some examples of statistical questions:

• Who is the most popular musical artist at your school?

• When do students in your class typically eat dinner?

Glossary 333
 • Which classroom in your school has the most books?
surface area
The surface area of a polyhedron is the number of square units that covers all the faces of
the polyhedron, without any gaps or overlaps.

2
For example, if the faces of a cube each have an area of 9 cm , then the surface area of the
2
cube is , or 54 cm .

table
A table organizes information into horizontal
rows and vertical columns. The first row or pet tail length (inches)
column usually tells what the numbers
represent. dog 22

For example, here is a table showing the tail cat 12

lengths of three different pets. This table has
four rows and two columns. mouse 2

tape diagram
A tape diagram is a group of rectangles put together to represent a relationship between
quantities.

For example, this tape diagram shows a ratio of 30 gallons

of yellow paint to 50 gallons of blue paint.

If each rectangle were labeled 5, instead of 10, then the same picture could represent the
equivalent ratio of 15 gallons of yellow paint to 25 gallons of blue paint.

term
A term is a part of an expression. It can be a single number, a variable, or a number and a
variable that are multiplied together. For example, the expression has two terms.
The first term is and the second term is 18.

unit price
The unit price is the cost for one item or for one unit of measure. For example, if 10 feet of
chain link fencing cost $150, then the unit price is , or $15 per foot.

unit rate
A unit rate is a rate per 1.

334
 For example, 12 people share 2 pies equally. One unit rate is 6 people per pie,
because . The other unit rate is of a pie per person, because .

variability
Variability means having different values.

For example, data set B has more variability than data set A. Data set B has many different
values, while data set A has more of the same values.

variable
A variable is a letter that represents a number. You can choose different numbers for the
value of the variable.

For example, in the expression , the variable is . If the value of is 3,

then , because . If the value of is 6, then ,
because .

vertex
A vertex is a point where two or more edges meet. When we
have more than one vertex, we call them vertices.

The vertices in this polygon are labeled , , , , and .

volume
Volume is the number of cubic units that fill a three-dimensional region, without any gaps
or overlaps.

Glossary 335
 For example, the volume of this rectangular
3
prism is 60 units , because it is composed of
3
3 layers that are each 20 units .

336
 Attributions
“Notice and Wonder” and “I Notice/I Wonder” are trademarks of the National Council of
Teachers of Mathematics, reflecting approaches developed by the Math Forum
(http://www.nctm.org/mathforum/), and used here with permission.

Images that are not the original work of Illustrative Mathematics are in the public domain
or released under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license, and include an
appropriate citation. Images that are the original work of Illustrative Mathematics do
not include such a citation.

Image Attributions
studying, by English106. CC BY 2.0. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/english106/
4357228667.

By JKpics. Public Domain. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/en/

worm-earthworm-pink-long-thin-1112176/.

By Clker-Free-Vector-Images. Public Domain. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/en/

cat-cartoon-art-pet-cute-animal-304204/.

Hawksbill Sea Turtle Carey de Concha (5840602412), by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Southeast Region. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/
wiki/File:Hawksbill_Sea_Turtle_Carey_de_Concha_(5840602412).jpg.

Pawsox Mascot, by Paul Keleher. CC BY 2.0. Wikimedia Commons.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pawsox_mascot.jpg.

Attributions 337
Notes
Notes