Statistical measures in engineering
A collection of resources to provide ideas for setting statistical measures in the context of engineering, together with materials to support the teaching of this topic.
'Helicopter Seeds' investigates testing helicopter seed models and recording their landing positions and distances from a central point. This gives the opportunity for data collection and using statistical measures to analyse the data.
There are two supporting resources. 'Understanding Mean, Median, Mode and Range S4' covering mean, median, mode and range. There is an exploration of the relationship between the measures and the shape of a distribution. 'Happy Planet Index' looks at how mathematics can help to make people more aware of important issues.
Helicopter Seeds
This Cre8ate maths flight testing activity requires students to work in groups and, having made their own helicopter seed model from a template, record the landing positions and distances from a central point when the model is dropped from a standard height of one metre. There is an opportunity for students to modify the basic helicopter seed and collect data for the revised design.
Understanding Mean, Median, Mode and Range S4
In this DfE Standards Unit resource, students learn to understand the terms: mean, median, mode, range and explore the relationships between these measures and their relationship to the shape of a distribution. Students will have met the terms mean, median, mode and range. The resource would be useful to use prior to the 'Helicopter Seeds' activity.
Happy Planet Index
The balance between economic success and the environment is the focus of this resource, from the Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching. It provides an example of how mathematics can help to make people more aware of important issues. Students apply statistical measures to interpret a variety of data which is then summarised in a Happy Planet Index. This would be an ideal resource to use as a follow on to the 'Helicopter Seeds' activity.
