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Teaching mathematics
Teaching mathematics

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Teaching idea: People maths

One memorable way to demonstrate the concept of the median number is using a people maths activity.

Described image
Figure 16 Lining up for a maths activity

Ask your learners to line up (Figure 16). Then ask them to get themselves into height order, from shortest to tallest.

The learners at each end of the line (the shortest and tallest learner, respectively) then need to move away from the line at the same time.

This is repeated with the new shortest and tallest learner until there is either one or two learners left. It is important that each pair leaves the line at the same time.

If there were an odd number of learners to start with, you will be left with one learner in the line who has the median height.

If there were an even number of learners to start with, the result will be two learners left in the line.

Rather than having two median heights, the next step is to find the mean average of the two middle heights. This will be the median height of the group.

The range is the difference between the highest and lowest values in a set of numbers.

To find it, subtract the lowest number in the distribution from the highest.