Lesson Plan

Explain what quantification means and distinguish between an attribute and a measurable quantity

Evaluate competing measures for the same real-world attribute, explaining what each captures and what it misses

Select an appropriate standard quantity (such as a per-capita rate or compound measure like person-hours) for a given descriptive modeling situation

Design a novel measure for an attribute that lacks a standard unit, checking it for dimensional sense and appropriate behavior

Defend a quantity choice in writing, stating what the measure captures, its units, and its limitations

HSN.Q.A.2

HSN.Q.A.2: Define appropriate quantities for the purpose of descriptive modeling. "In high school, students encounter a wider variety of units in modeling, e.g., acceleration, currency conversions, derived quantities such as person-hours and heating degree days, social science rates such as per-capita income, and rates in everyday life such as points scored per game or batting averages. They also encounter novel situations in which they themselves must conceive the attributes of interest. For example, to find a good measure of overall highway safety, they might propose measures such as fatalities per year, fatalities per year per driver, or fatalities per vehicle-mile traveled. Such a conceptual process is sometimes called quantification. Quantification is important for science, as when surface area suddenly 'stands out' as an important variable in evaporation. Quantification is also important for companies, which must conceptualize relevant attributes and create or choose suitable measures for them."