The Odd One Out
Most of the numbers keep close company. Sometimes one wanders off on its own — that one has a name: an outlier. Find it, then see what it does to the average.
No score is kept. No points, no streak, no ranking — the only number anyone writes down is the one your teacher writes down, standing next to you.
Watching one first is a strong way to start.
1 · Minutes it takes to walk to school
3 · 4 · 3 · 5 · 5 · 10
Draw one X for each number, stacked on top of its place.
1. Circle the odd one out — or write none.
2. Mean with everyone:
3. Mean without the odd one:
2 · Books on the shelf
7 · 8 · 7 · 9 · 9 · 2
Draw one X for each number, stacked on top of its place.
1. Circle the odd one out — or write none.
2. Mean with everyone:
3. Mean without the odd one:
3 · Cousins
2 · 3 · 2 · 4 · 3 · 4 · 10
Draw one X for each number, stacked on top of its place.
1. Circle the odd one out — or write none.
2. Mean with everyone:
3. Mean without the odd one:
4 · Pencils in the box
4 · 5 · 4 · 6 · 5 · 6
Draw one X for each number, stacked on top of its place.
1. Circle the odd one out — or write none.
2. Mean with everyone:
3. Mean without the odd one:
5 · Goals this season
6 · 7 · 6 · 8 · 7 · 8 · 0
Draw one X for each number, stacked on top of its place.
1. Circle the odd one out — or write none.
2. Mean with everyone:
3. Mean without the odd one:
6 · Hours of sleep
8 · 9 · 8 · 10 · 10 · 3
Draw one X for each number, stacked on top of its place.
1. Circle the odd one out — or write none.
2. Mean with everyone:
3. Mean without the odd one:
7 · Minutes on the phone
5 · 5 · 6 · 4 · 5 · 11
Draw one X for each number, stacked on top of its place.
1. Circle the odd one out — or write none.
2. Mean with everyone:
3. Mean without the odd one:
8 · Steps to the door
9 · 10 · 9 · 11 · 10 · 11
Draw one X for each number, stacked on top of its place.
1. Circle the odd one out — or write none.
2. Mean with everyone:
3. Mean without the odd one:
There is no right answer here. It only tells your teacher where to start next time.
You found them — and you did not delete them.
An outlier is a real number about a real thing. It pulls the mean toward itself, which is why we point at it instead of throwing it away: the group has a story, and so does the one that sits apart. Say both, and you have told the truth.
The stretch is a choice. Taking it — or leaving it for another day — are both strong moves.
For the teacher — this device only
One probe row, built from what happened on this screen. Copy it into the Goal Builder yourself, or print this page. Independent means found with no hints; supported means found after a hint. Both are real evidence and neither is a grade.
- Date
- —
- Skill
- Spot an outlier and tell how it pulls the mean
- Measure
- Trials (x of y)
- Independent
- 0 of 8
- Supported
- 0 of 8
- Hints used
- 0
- Confidence
- —
- Watched the demo
- —
- Stretch
- —
Six of the eight hold an outlier; two do not, and on those the skill is saying so. Only the spotting is scored — the second question, which number tells the truer story, is a judgment and both answers are respected. Set 2 and Set 3 are the same eight skills with different data, so the same student can be probed three weeks running without being measured on memory.