A Statistical Investigation of the Wood Mouse Population at a Farm

“A Statistical Investigation of the Wood Mouse Population at a Farm” can be used as an activity for up to 8 groups of KS3 pupils.

No real wood mice are used in this activity! It’s a modelling exercise using dice.

Each group is given data about the masses of wood mice at one of eight farms. A sample of this population is taken randomly by rolling a die. The range, median, mode and mean mass of the wood mice are calculated for the sample and then compared to the values for the whole population at that farm.

Masses of the wood mice at each of the eight farms are given in the Wood Mouse Investigation Data Cards pdf.

This activity is useful in promoting discussion about sampling and the use and misuse of surveys in everyday life.

The download contains three pdfs: the Pupil Sheet pdf, the Teaching Notes pdf and the Wood Mouse Investigation Data Cards pdf (a total of 11 pages).