The everyday expression ‘a wide range’ is generally understood as a reference to two ends of a spectrum–and all the things in between. This is much like the mathematical term range which refers to the spread of values in a data set; in other words, the difference between the greatest and least values.
The activity Range, Interquartile Range, and Box Plots teaches students to calculate range and interquartile range. Students come to understand maximum and minimum values, how to find upper and lower quartiles, and use quartiles to find interquartile range. The activity explores the relationship between these values and the values displayed in box plots, as students practice creating box plots. The activity gives students many opportunities to practice finding and using range and interquartile range.