Mean, Median, Mode, and Range with Fortune Cookies

You know that you are a teacher when you get inspired by your Chinese lunch like I did the other day!

Here is a quick and simple way to make measures of central tendency a little more fun:

• Get a big pack of fortune cookies.
• Grab some takeout containers if you can find some (optional).  This way, you can add some probability into the mix.
• Print the downloadable half sheet (below).
• Have your students record the fortune and the lucky numbers.
• The worksheet will guide them to find the mean, median, mode, and range of the numbers and the word lengths.
  

To extend the lesson, try placing the cookies in containers at the front of the room before distributing them.  Try some problems with probability:

Say "There are 15 cookies in each of these two takeout containers.  Two cookies in the first container are broken.  Three in the second container are broken."  Have students determine the probability of getting a broken cookie if they pull:

• one cookie from the first container
• one cookie from the second container
• two cookies from the first container
• one cookie from each container

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Your class will enjoy comparing their fortunes with classmates and doing the math with a fun and unique set of "data."  Obviously, they will also like eating the cookies.  See if you have any duplicate fortunes in the classroom, and if so, calculate the odds of a match.

Click the image of the worksheet to download the worksheet file.

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Click the image to download.

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