This learning video continues the theme of an early BLOSSOMS lesson, Flaws of Averages, using new examples—including how all the children from Lake Wobegon can be above average, as well as the Friendship Paradox. As mentioned in the original module, averages are often worthwhile representations of a set of data by a single descriptive number. The objective of this module, once again, is to simply point out a few pitfalls that could arise if one is not attentive to details when calculating and interpreting averages. Most students at any level in high school can understand the concept of the flaws of averages presented here. The essential prerequisite knowledge for this video lesson is the ability to calculate an average from a set of numbers. Materials needed include: pen and paper for the students; a blackboard or equivalent; and coins (one per student) or something similar that students can repeatedly use to create a random event with equal chances of the two outcomes (e.g. flipping a fair coin). The coins or something similar are recommended for one of the classroom activities, which will demonstrate the idea of regression toward the mean. Another activity will have the students create groups to show how the average number of friends of friends is greater than or equal to the average number of friends in a group, which is known as The Friendship Paradox. The lesson is designed for a typical 50-minute class session.

Premade number tents to use clothesline math with five number summary and standard deviation.

Students use their knowledge of statistics to answer the question, "How does the Atlantic white cedar respond to changing temperature?"

"Does the amount of time lady beetles spend at freezing temperatures affect how long it takes for them to wake up from a chill coma?" Use this data nugget and your graphing skills to determine a solution.

Use the data to see if you can answer the question, "Is there evidence that the Saratoga Creek restoration in 1999 was successful at reducing the Phragmites invasion?"

Use the lesson outline at this link or have students work with the raw data to determine why some plant species thrive in areas and others do not.

What makes an invasive species so problamatic? Review this summarized data, work with finding means and percents and create a bar graph to determine a solution.

Students lean about making their choice of graph to understand data and make predictions. This task has students determining the effect a dam has on a river.

Answer this question using your knowledge of statistics. "How does the size of plant roots differ when grown in serpentine soil compared to non-serpentine soils?"

Study the data to answer the question, "Are any perennial crops a good alternative to corn for biofuel production, and if so, why? How does the location of biomass production affect the outcome?"

Use this data to see what the affects of seretonin have on winning a fight. Students find averages and create bar graphs to interpret the data.

"At what latitudes do caterpillars do the most damage to pokeweed?" Review this data to determine a solution.

Study the effect of climate change on plants as you practice measures of center and create bar graphs.

"How did replacing the narrow culverts with wider culverts change the growth of Phragmites in the marsh?" Use this data to find a solution to this question and see statistics in action.

Answer this question using your ability to find the mean from the data. "How does the elevation of the marsh organ pipe, relative to mean sea level, affect plant growth?"

Use this data to determine an answer to the question, "How have sea level and saltmarsh sparrow numbers changed over time?"

Why do insects shoot their frass? Is it to deter their enemies? What do you think after examining this set of data?

What affects do different drugs have on spiders and their abilities to make their webs? Students look at the area of different webs to predict an answer to this question. The raw data is available for this experiment.