It's no secret that mnemonics can help people remember steps and processes in mathematics and other subjects. Many people have heard (and used) the mnemonics for the order of operations: PEMDAS and Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. I've personally witnessed the power of mnemonics and their usefulness. They help make learning "sticky" and help calm students during testing situations.
Have your students had trouble with interquartile range? The concept was added to our sixth grade standards last year. Interquartile range is quite different from the simplicity of dot plots and bar graphs. It requires students to find the median of a set of data, the median of the lower half of the data, and the median of the upper half of the data. When I first introduced the concept to students, they had that classic "what?" look. I had to think of a way to help students remember how to find interquartile range.
I listed the steps for finding interquartile range, and the idea of mice and socks formed in my mind. A short time later, I wrote down the mnemonic "Only Mice Like Useless Socks."
Order the data from least to greatest
find the Median of the data
find the median of the Lower half of the data (Q1)
find the median of the Upper half of the data (Q3)
Subtract Q1 from Q3
The quirkiness of the mnemonic is perfect for middle school students. To "hook" them in, ask them how they think mice and socks can help them remember interquartile range. The responses you get will probably be hilarious, but the question and the responses add to the "stickiness" of the lesson. The mnemonic transformed a normally tricky lesson into one where students have a little fun. Maybe it will work for you as well.
Click here to download a copy of the worksheet I use to introduce interquartile range. It's available for FREE until Saturday, February 20, 2016.
Have a great week!!!
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