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Day 9 — Report uncertainty, not a fake certaintyYear 8 Maths · T1 W1–2 · Day 9 lesson

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Year 8 / Term 1 / Weeks 01 02 / Mathematics

Part of the full two-week lesson sequence. Check the pack guide and taught point before teaching.

Open for this lesson: Sources and materials · Check guide.

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Teacher copy: This page may include teaching prompts or answer keys. Answer keys in this public library can be viewed by anyone. Give learners a clean prompt, use checks as formative evidence, and change a case locally when prior access matters.

Success: make an inference limited by how the sample was chosen. (AC9M8ST03, AC9M8ST04)

  1. Recall · 2 min. Ask why A and B's bicycle proportions differ by one person even though both have 20.
  2. Model · 4 min. Say: “In these two simulated random samples, bicycle estimates were 15% and 20%; another fair sample could differ too.” Show the optional repeated simulation: across 1000 seeds, the average error was 8.95 percentage points for samples of 10 and 3.92 for samples of 40. Do not claim every larger sample must be closer.
  3. Guided claim test · 5 min. Sort “sample A had 3 cyclists” as direct model fact; “all students cycle at 15%” as overreach; “larger fair samples often vary less, but do not guarantee exactness” as a qualified pattern.
  4. Independent brief · 7 min. Learners draft three sentences for a fictional principal: two source figures, one method limitation and one ethical next action. A source label must accompany each number.
  5. Peer check · 4 min. Partner asks how a simple random sample would be drawn and whether a census is necessary or appropriate.
  6. Exit · 3 min. “Can two equal-size random samples give different percentages?” Key: yes; this model has 15% and 20% bicycle.