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statistical writing & communication

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4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.

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Lesson Overview

Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA

Learning Objectives

Prerequisites

Materials & Equipment

Lesson 1: Introduction: statistical writing & communication

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Write down everything you already know about statistical writing & communication. Then check against the key terms: key terms from statistical writing & communication. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: key terms from statistical writing & communication.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: statistical writing & communication. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Statistics because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look

Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: explain the key ideas of statistical writing & communication

Plenary (5 minutes)

Check Out

Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about statistical writing & communication.

Lesson 2: Core Concepts: statistical writing & communication

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Review Previous Lesson

Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on statistical writing & communication. Check them against the notes below.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Key Fact: Always write answers in the context of the question: if the data is about rainfall, say ‘rainfall’ not ‘the data’ or ‘the values’
Key Fact: Support every statement with a specific data value: ‘The median rainfall in July (68 mm) was higher than in April (42 mm)’
Key Fact: Avoid vague language: replace ‘quite high’, ‘bigger’, ‘a lot’ with precise values and comparisons
Key Fact: When comparing distributions, always compare both location (median/mean) AND spread (IQR/range/SD)
Key Fact: Use comparative conjunctions: ‘higher than’, ‘lower than’, ‘more spread than’, ‘less variable than’
Key Fact: When describing a graph or chart, comment on: overall pattern, key features (peaks, troughs), any anomalies, and the shape of the distribution

Practice (10 minutes)

Q: explain the key ideas of statistical writing & communication

Answer:

Plenary (5 minutes)

Explain Back

Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.

Lesson 3: Application: statistical writing & communication

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Recall the key terms: key terms from statistical writing & communication. Define each in one sentence.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.

Work through the practice questions on the revision notes page for this topic.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Error Review

Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.

Lesson 4: Exam Practice: statistical writing & communication

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Command Words

Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).

Main Content (35 minutes)

Extended Answer

Extended question: Full-Mark Response A study compares weekly screen time for two age groups. 11–14 year olds: median 21 hours, IQR 10 hours. 15–18 year olds: median 28 hours, IQR 14 hours. Write a comparison. <div class="

The 15–18 age group spends more time on screens on average, with a median of 28 hours per week compared to 21 hours for the 11–14 age group, a difference of 7 hours. The 15–18 group also shows greater variability in screen time, with an IQR of 14 hours compared to 10 hours for the younger group. This means the middle 50% of 15–18 year olds span a wider range of screen time (14 hours) than the 11–14 year olds (10 hours). The higher median and greater spread for the older group may reflect increased independent phone use and social media activity in later teenage years, though this study cannot establish the cause.

Exam Tips: Every sentence in a statistical answer should contain at least one specific number from the data | When comparing, write about both groups in the same sentence using ‘than’ or ‘compared to’ | Never use ‘the data shows’ — name the variable: ‘the rainfall data shows’ or ‘the temperatures show’ | Structure longer answers: (1) state the finding, (2) give the evidence, (3) link to context or hypothesis | If a question asks ‘What does this tell you about…’, give both a statistical observation and a real-world interpretation
Common Errors: ✗ Writing ‘Group A is bigger’ without specifying what is bigger and by how much ✓ Write ‘Group A’s median (45) is 12 more than Group B’s (33)’ ✗ Confusing correlation with causation in written answers ✓ Use ‘associated with’ or ‘linked to’ rather than ‘causes’ unless the study design establishes causation ✗ Only comparing one aspect (e.g. just the median) when asked to compare distributions ✓ Always compare location (median/mean) and spread (IQR/range) ✗ Using generic terms instead of the variable name from the question ✓ Replace ‘it’, ‘the data’, ‘the values’ with the actual variable: ‘the heights’, ‘the prices’, ‘the scores’
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
  • Synoptic links: explain how statistical writing &amp; communication connects to another Statistics topic you have studied
  • Real-world: research one real-world use or example of statistical writing &amp; communication
  • Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in statistical writing &amp; communication?"

Plenary (5 minutes)

Assessment Criteria
  • Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
  • Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
  • Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2

Homework & Consolidation

Recommended Resources

🎓 Smart Lesson (Guided)