SCORE Mathematics

Standards Connections

Does More Wins Mean More
Fans At The Ballpark?

Introduction: After getting information from the past baseball season off the Internet,students will calculate an attendance-to-win ratio for each of the 28 major league teams and then study the results to see if winning always leads to good attendance.

Prior Knowledge: Basic understanding of ratios. Use of four-function calculator, rounding to the nearest whole number.

Grade Level: 4-7

Task: Students will complete a worksheet by finding ratios using a calculator, and then they will use the results to answer questions which test understanding.

Resources:

• MLB Attendance - Try the page for each team for detailed stats.
• MLB Standings
• Attendance/Wins Ratio Worksheet (html) / (pdf)
• Calculators for students.

Process:

1. Access the two above addresses on the Internet and use the information to fill out the Attendance column and the Wins column on the worksheet (html) / (pdf).
2. Calculate the Attendance/Wins Ratio for each team by using a calculator to divide the attendance by the number of wins and then rounding to the nearest whole number.
3. Discuss what the results and ratios mean.
4. Have the students answer the questions on the worksheet.

Learning Advice:
A teacher may want to guide the students through the process in class by doing the American League teams during a class period and then assigning the students to do the National League teams on their own.

Evaluation:

1. Students should know that they will be graded objectively on the computation part (the 28 ratios found by dividing and rounding to the nearest whole number).
2. Students should know that they will be graded somewhat subjectively on their answers to the worksheet questions. Students must give reasons for their answers when asked.

Extensions:
Plot points on graph paper with Wins for the horizontal axis and Attendance for the vertical axis.

Conclusion: Students should have reviewed some ratio concepts and computation skills. They also should have discovered that more wins does not necessarily mean more fans at the ballpark. Students should have written some of the reasons why this is true.

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California Mathematics Academic Standards:

Grade 4:
Statistics, Data Analysis and Probability
1.0 Students organize, represent, and interpret numerical and categorical data and clearly communicate their findings.

1.3 interpret one- and two-variable data graphs to answer questions about a situation

2.0 Students make predictions for simple probability situations.

2.1 represent all possible outcomes for a simple probability situation in an organized way (e.g., tables, grids, tree diagrams)

Grade 5:
Statistics, Data Analysis and Probability
1.0 Students display, analyze, compare, and interpret different data sets, including data sets of different sizes.

1.2 organize and display single-variable data in appropriate graphs and representations (e.g., histogram, circle graphs) and explain which types of graphs are appropriate for various data sets

Grade 6:
Statistics, Data Analysis and Probability
2.0 Students use data samples of a population and describe the characteristics and limitations of the samples

2.4 identify data that represent sampling and explain why the sample (and the display) may be biased
2.5 identify claims based on statistical data and, in simple cases, evaluate the validity of the claims

3.0 Students determine theoretical and experimental probabilities and use these to make predictions about events

3.5 understand the difference between independent and dependent events

Grade 7:
Mathematical Reasoning
1.0 Students make decisions about how to approach problems.

1.1 analyze problems by identifying relationships, discriminating relevant from irrelevant information, identifying missing information, sequencing and prioritizing information, and observing patterns

NCTM 5-8:

STANDARD 1: MATHEMATICS AS PROBLEM SOLVING
STANDARD 2: MATHEMATICS AS COMMUNICATION
STANDARD 3: MATHEMATICS AS REASONING
STANDARD 4: MATHEMATICAL CONNECTIONS
STANDARD 5: NUMBER AND NUMBER RELATIONSHIPS
STANDARD 7: COMPUTATION AND ESTIMATION

NCTM 9-12:

STANDARD 1: MATHEMATICS AS PROBLEM SOLVING
STANDARD 2: MATHEMATICS AS COMMUNICATION
STANDARD 3: MATHEMATICS AS REASONING
STANDARD 4: MATHEMATICAL CONNECTIONS

August 1996 - Revised June 19, 2000
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