aidemia--modules-lessonstartideas_type	Give a creative idea how to begin a lesson
Which subject	Mathematics
What age group	Year or Grade 8
What topic	causation versus correlation
Quantity	1
Any other preferences

Lesson Introduction: Understanding Causation vs. Correlation

Hook: The Mysterious Ice Cream Sales

Imagine it's a hot Saturday afternoon. You decide to walk to your local ice cream shop for a refreshing treat. As you walk there, you notice something interesting: every time the temperature rises, the ice cream shop seems to be busier. You can't help but wonder:

• Does the heat cause people to buy more ice cream?
• Or do more people just happen to go out on hot days?

Engagement Activity

Think-Pair-Share (5 minutes)

1. Think: Individually, take a moment to write down your thoughts on the relationship between warm weather and ice cream sales. Do you think the temperature directly influences how many ice creams are sold?

2. Pair: Turn to your partner and discuss your ideas. How can you support your thoughts? Are there other factors that might be involved?

3. Share: After your discussions, let’s regroup and share some of the ideas that came up. What did you and your partner think? Do you find any common themes in your answers?

Transition to Lesson Objectives

Through this engaging discussion, we have set ourselves up to delve deeper into the concept of causation vs. correlation.

• Causation refers to a relationship where one event causes another; in our example, it would mean that the rising temperatures actually make people want ice cream.

• Correlation simply denotes a relationship or pattern between two variables — ice cream sales increase as temperatures rise, but one does not necessarily cause the other.

Let’s explore this critical distinction through interactive activities and real-world examples today! Get ready to uncover the truth behind various data points and see how correlation does not always imply causation!