Which average fits: mean, median or range?
Grade 7 Math Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.
Esme recorded stickers collected for seven club members (the stickers sparkled). They will share all of it equally. Which center tells how many each member gets?
- The mean, because it shares the total equally among all the dots.
- The median, because the far dot pulls the mean away from most dots.
- Either one, because the mean and the median are both centers.
- The range, because it shows how big the typical dot is.
Jun recorded minutes spent walking to school for seven students. One student was far from the rest (the backpacks kept up). Which center fits the typical walk better?
A dot plot of minutes spent walking to school on one number line from 4 to 31, a tick at every whole number. Each dot is one student. Dots: 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 12, 29. The far dot, 29, is circled. The mean is 11. The median is 8. A dot plot of minutes spent walking to school on one number line from 4 to 31, a tick at every whole number. Each dot is one student. Dots: 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 12, 29. The far dot, 29, is circled. The mean is 11. The median is 8. Minutes spent walking to school 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 Each dot is one student. The far dot, 29, is circled. The mean is 11. The median is 8. - The range, because it shows how big the typical dot is in this data set
- The median, because the far dot pulls the mean away from most dots.
- Either one, because the mean and the median are both centers.
- The mean, because it uses every dot.
Noah recorded cookies baked for a sale for seven bakers (the cookies smelled great). One baker was far from the rest. How much lower is the mean without the far dot?
A dot plot of cookies baked for a sale on one number line from 11 to 30, a tick at every whole number. Each dot is one baker. Dots: 13, 13, 14, 14, 15, 15, 28. The far dot, 28, is circled. All 7 dots add up to 112. Without the far dot, the other 6 dots add up to 84. A dot plot of cookies baked for a sale on one number line from 11 to 30, a tick at every whole number. Each dot is one baker. Dots: 13, 13, 14, 14, 15, 15, 28. The far dot, 28, is circled. All 7 dots add up to 112. Without the far dot, the other 6 dots add up to 84. Cookies baked for a sale 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Each dot is one baker. The far dot, 28, is circled. All 7 dots add up to 112. Without the far dot, the other 6 dots add up to 84. Pia recorded apples picked for seven pickers (one ladder wobbled). One picker was far from the rest. How much greater is the mean than the median?
A dot plot of apples picked on one number line from 8 to 38, a tick at every whole number. Each dot is one picker. Dots: 10, 10, 11, 12, 13, 13, 36. The far dot, 36, is circled. The middle dot, 12, is circled too. All 7 dots add up to 105. A dot plot of apples picked on one number line from 8 to 38, a tick at every whole number. Each dot is one picker. Dots: 10, 10, 11, 12, 13, 13, 36. The far dot, 36, is circled. The middle dot, 12, is circled too. All 7 dots add up to 105. Apples picked 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 Each dot is one picker. The far dot, 36, is circled. The middle dot, 12, is circled too. All 7 dots add up to 105. Ren recorded minutes of piano practice for seven students (the metronome kept the beat). One student was far from the rest. How much greater is the mean than the median?
A dot plot of minutes of piano practice on one number line from 16 to 40, a tick at every whole number. Each dot is one student. Dots: 18, 20, 21, 21, 21, 22, 38. The far dot, 38, is circled. The middle dot, 21, is circled too. All 7 dots add up to 161. A dot plot of minutes of piano practice on one number line from 16 to 40, a tick at every whole number. Each dot is one student. Dots: 18, 20, 21, 21, 21, 22, 38. The far dot, 38, is circled. The middle dot, 21, is circled too. All 7 dots add up to 161. Minutes of piano practice 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 Each dot is one student. The far dot, 38, is circled. The middle dot, 21, is circled too. All 7 dots add up to 161. Tala recorded minutes of bike riding after school for seven riders (the bells rang). One rider was far from the rest. How much greater is the mean than the median?
A dot plot of minutes of bike riding after school on one number line from 6 to 33, a tick at every whole number. Each dot is one rider. Dots: 8, 10, 10, 10, 11, 11, 31. The far dot, 31, is circled. The middle dot, 10, is circled too. All 7 dots add up to 91. A dot plot of minutes of bike riding after school on one number line from 6 to 33, a tick at every whole number. Each dot is one rider. Dots: 8, 10, 10, 10, 11, 11, 31. The far dot, 31, is circled. The middle dot, 10, is circled too. All 7 dots add up to 91. Minutes of bike riding after school 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 Each dot is one rider. The far dot, 31, is circled. The middle dot, 10, is circled too. All 7 dots add up to 91. Zee recorded stars earned for seven students (the stars twinkled). One student was far from the rest. How much greater is the mean than the median?
A dot plot of stars earned on one number line from 6 to 33, a tick at every whole number. Each dot is one student. Dots: 8, 8, 9, 11, 12, 12, 31. The far dot, 31, is circled. The middle dot, 11, is circled too. All 7 dots add up to 91. A dot plot of stars earned on one number line from 6 to 33, a tick at every whole number. Each dot is one student. Dots: 8, 8, 9, 11, 12, 12, 31. The far dot, 31, is circled. The middle dot, 11, is circled too. All 7 dots add up to 91. Stars earned 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 Each dot is one student. The far dot, 31, is circled. The middle dot, 11, is circled too. All 7 dots add up to 91. Ari recorded shells collected on the beach for seven students. One student was far from the rest (one pail overflowed). Which center fits the typical number of shells better?
A dot plot of shells collected on the beach on one number line from 6 to 35, a tick at every whole number. Each dot is one student. Dots: 8, 10, 10, 11, 13, 13, 33. The far dot, 33, is circled. A dot plot of shells collected on the beach on one number line from 6 to 35, a tick at every whole number. Each dot is one student. Dots: 8, 10, 10, 11, 13, 13, 33. The far dot, 33, is circled. Shells collected on the beach 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 Each dot is one student. The far dot, 33, is circled. - The mean, because it uses every dot.
- The median, because the far dot pulls the mean away from most dots.
- Either one, because the mean and the median are both centers.
- The range, because it shows how big the typical dot is.
Bo recorded balloons blown up for seven party helpers (the balloons squeaked). They will share all of it equally. Which center tells how many each helper gets?
A dot plot of balloons blown up on one number line from 9 to 38, a tick at every whole number. Each dot is one helper. Dots: 11, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 36. The far dot, 36, is circled. A dot plot of balloons blown up on one number line from 9 to 38, a tick at every whole number. Each dot is one helper. Dots: 11, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 36. The far dot, 36, is circled. Balloons blown up 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 Each dot is one helper. The far dot, 36, is circled. - The range, because it shows how big the typical dot is.
- Either one, because the mean and the median are both centers.
- The median, because the far dot pulls the mean away from most dots.
- The mean, because it shares the total equally among all the dots.
Esme recorded pages read in one night for seven students. One student was far from the rest (the lamp stayed on). Which center fits the typical number of pages better?
A dot plot of pages read in one night on one number line from 10 to 40, a tick at every whole number. Each dot is one student. Dots: 12, 12, 13, 14, 15, 15, 38. The far dot, 38, is circled. A dot plot of pages read in one night on one number line from 10 to 40, a tick at every whole number. Each dot is one student. Dots: 12, 12, 13, 14, 15, 15, 38. The far dot, 38, is circled. Pages read in one night 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 Each dot is one student. The far dot, 38, is circled. - Either one, because the mean and the median are both centers.
- The mean, because it uses every dot.
- The median, because the far dot pulls the mean away from most dots.
- The range, because it shows how big the typical dot is.