Education Technology


Helping Students Understand Line of Best Fit

Activity Overview

This activity is based on a lesson out of the Key Curriculum Press textbook "Discovering Algebra with Technology." Students use five number summaries to find specific points on the graph which can be used to find the equation for a line of best fit. Teachers can then use the TI-Navigator System to screen capture the student graphs to discuss the pros and cons of the lines of best fit students found.

Before the Activity

Students will need background on Box-and-Whisker plots, five number summaries, and how to find the equation for a line using two points. Students will also need some background on what a line of best fit is and the purpose of such a line.

During the Activity

The attached document will walk you through how to use the calculator to find five number summaries and how to have students graph their line of best fit.