April is Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month. We use math in our everyday life. We use it when we calculate sales tax. We use it when determining how long it will take to travel to a location. We use it when cooking our food. Math is all around us, but let’s face it—it’s not the most popular subject. That’s why it’s important to bring awareness to it and how it can be used in our everyday life.
Predictions use statistics of past events to determine what will most likely happen in the future. We use it when giving weather reports. We use it when determining the best time to check the mail. We use it when budgeting for the month. Predictions are all around us.
One of the most widely used form of predictions in our everyday life is for weather. Predicting the weather helps us plan ahead. If we know it will be sunny, we can plan to go to the beach. If we know it will be raining, we can plan for a game or movie day. The possibilities are endless, and we rely on weather predictions heavily. The following activity utilizes our reliance on weather predictions.
Look at the following weather predictions for the month of March below.
1. Which city has the lowest predicted high temperature? ______________
2. Which city has the highest predicted low temperature? ______________
3. What is the average predicted high for all five cities? ______________
4. What is the range in predicted low temperatures? ______________
5. What is the ratio between Los Angeles predicted high and New York’s predicted low in Fahrenheit? ______________
6. The predicted high for Chicago is lower than the predicted low of which three cities? ______________
7. Which city’s predicted high is 3°F (19.5°C) more than twice the predicted high of New York? ______________
Download the full version of this activity in a printable format here. Additionally, download this free Spinner Game to test your prediction skills. Learn more about our ready-made mathematics lesson plans from Our Approach to Core Subjects: MATHEMATICS blog post.