Interpret numerical data, with whole-number values, represented with tables or line plots by determining the mean, mode, median or range.
Examples
Rain was collected and measured daily to the nearest inch for the past week. The recorded amounts are 1,0,3,1,0,0 and 1. The range is 3 inches, the modes are 0 and 1 inches and the mean value can be determined as


Clarifications
Clarification 1: Instruction includes interpreting the mean in real-world problems as a leveling out, a balance point or an equal share.General Information
Subject Area: Mathematics (B.E.S.T.)
Grade: 5
Strand: Data Analysis and Probability
Standard: Collect, represent and interpret data and find the mean, mode, median or range of a data set.
Date Adopted or Revised: 08/20
Status: State Board Approved
Benchmark Instructional Guide
Connecting Benchmarks/Horizontal Alignment
Terms from the K-12 Glossary
- Line Plots
- Mean
- Median
- Mode
- Range
Vertical Alignment
Previous Benchmarks
Next Benchmarks
Purpose and Instructional Strategies
The purpose of this benchmark is to interpret numerical data by using the mean, mode, median and range. This work builds on the previous understanding of mode, median, and range in Grade 4 (MA.4.DP.1.2). In Grade 6, a focus will be on comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the mean and median.- When finding median and mode, it is important for students to organize their data, putting it in order from least to greatest.
- With the data organized, students can determine:
- range by subtracting the least value from the greatest value in the set.
- mode by finding the value that occurs most often.
- median by finding the value in middle of the set.
- mean by finding the average of the set of numbers.
Common Misconceptions or Errors
- Students may confuse the mean and median of a data set. During instruction, teachers should provide students with examples where the median and mean of a data set are not close in value.
Strategies to Support Tiered Instruction
- Instruction includes examples where the mean and the median are not close in value and uses a data set to explain the difference between mean and median.
- For example, the data set shown has a median of 4 and a mean of 7. The teacher uses the data to model how the mean is calculated and how the median is found.

- Instruction includes writing the data on index cards or sticky notes. Students can then easily arrange the data in order from least to greatest. This will assist in finding the median of the data set.
- For example, students use the data shown to explain the difference between mean (which is 7) and median (which is 4) and to model how the mean is calculated and how the median is found.

Instructional Tasks
Instructional Task 1 (MTR.7.1)
Bobbie is a fifth grader who competes in the 100-meter hurdles. In her 8 track meets during the season, she recorded the following times to the nearest second.- Part A. What is the mean time, in seconds, of Bobbie’s 100-meter hurdles?
- Part B. What is the median time, in seconds, of Bobbie’s 100-meter hurdles?
- Part C. What is the mode time, in seconds, of Bobbie’s 100-meter hurdles?
- Part D. If you were Bobbie, which of these results would you report to your friend?
Instructional Items
Instructional Item 1
There was a pie-eating contest at the county fair. The line plot below shows the number of pies each of the 10 contestants ate. Use the line plot to determine the mean, mode, median and range of the data.*The strategies, tasks and items included in the B1G-M are examples and should not be considered comprehensive.
Related Courses
This benchmark is part of these courses.
5012070: Grade Five Mathematics (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
7712060: Access Mathematics Grade 5 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2018, 2018 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
5012065: Grade 4 Accelerated Mathematics (Specifically in versions: 2019 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
5012015: Foundational Skills in Mathematics 3-5 (Specifically in versions: 2019 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
Related Access Points
Alternate version of this benchmark for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
MA.5.DP.1.AP.2: Interpret numerical data, with whole-number values, represented with tables or line plots by determining the mean, mode or range. Line plot scales to include only whole numbers, halves and quarters.
Related Resources
Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this benchmark.
Lesson Plans
Perspectives Video: Teaching Idea
Teaching Ideas
Tutorials
Student Resources
Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.
Tutorials
Redistributing Trail Mix:
This Khan Academy tutorial video presents a strategy for solving the following problem: given a dot plot with different measurements of trail mix in bags, find the amount of trail mix each bag would contain, if the total amount in all the bags was equally redistributed.
Type: Tutorial
Frequency tables and Dot Plots:
In this video, we organize data into frequency tables and dot plots (sometimes called line plots).
Type: Tutorial
Parent Resources
Vetted resources caregivers can use to help students learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.