Typical Super Bowl scores

Updated for 2023!

In this activity students study historical Super Bowl data to reflect on average (mean, median, and mode), losing scores, winning scores, and range of scores. They are asked to judge which of these central measurements seem the most meaningful and explain their reasoning.  Doing this activity right before the Super Bowl?  Consider trying this:

1. Ask students to predict the score of the Super Bowl.

2. Then show kids the scores from the past Super Bowls (in the activity) and ask them if they want to make a new prediction.

3. Determine the average Super Bowl score from the data.  Keep a record of the predictions, adjustments to predictions, the mean and median of past scores.

Reflect on this the day after the Super Bowl.  What prediction was the closest?  Did the past data help?  What other information might be helpful in predicting the score of the Super Bowl?  After students complete the activity, refer back to the interactive box whisker plots from plot.ly at the bottom of this post.  You can review many of the questions from the activity sheet and easily manipulate the data and plot through our plot at plot.ly.