Basketball averages

Basketball averages

Auto-markingPencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Further Resources
This task is about what is needed to work out an average.

Question

a)  Part way through the season a basketball team had scored an average of 70 points per game. In the next game it scored 85.
What else do you need to know to find out the team's average score after this game?

    • Nothing.

    • The number of players in the basketball team.

    • The number of times they scored more than 70 points.

    • The number of games they had played altogether.

    • The number of times they scored fewer than 70 points.

Question

b)  In another game the team scored 90 points.
What else do you need to know to work out the average score per team member in that game?

    • Nothing.

    • The number of members in the basketball team.

    • The number of times they scored more than 90 points.

    • The number of games they played altogether.

    • The number of times they scored fewer than 90 points.

Question

c)  At the end of the season the team had scored 1200 points with an average of 75 points per game.
What else do you need to know to work out how many games they played in that season?

    • Nothing.

    • The number of players in the basketball team.

    • The number of times they scored more than 75 points.

    • The number of times they scored less than 75 points.

    • The average (mean) score halfway through the season.

Task administration: 
This task is completed with pencil and paper or online (WITH automarking).
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Maths, Statistics, Statistical investigations
Keywords: 
mean
Description of task: 
Students identify further information that is required to calculate averages.
Curriculum Links: 
This resource can be used to help to identify students' understanding of the mean (average).
Learning Progression Frameworks
This resource can provide evidence of learning associated with
Statistical investigations, set 5
within the Mathematics Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 
 

Y8 (11/1997)
a) D (The number of games they had played altogether.) easy
b) B (The number of members in the basketball team.) easy
c) A (Nothing.) difficult