The mathematical purpose of this lesson is for students to decide when to use each representation of data (box plots, dot plots, and histograms). Students should understand that each representation shows different features of the data set, and that the time to use each one is based on what type of information students are seeking about the data set. This lesson connects to previous work in grade 6, when students learned how to construct and interpret each representation. In the associated Algebra 1 lesson, students collect data and create displays to represent the information they collect. The work in this lesson prepares students to compare and contrast data representations and discuss advantages and disadvantages of each data representation in a later lesson. 

Students look for and make use of structure (MP7) when finding the final temperature. Students reason abstractly and quantitatively (MP2) as they understand data in context as well as in data displays, and make connections among the representations. Students critique the reasoning of others (MP3) when they use data displays to assess the truth of statements given about a set of data.