What are some weaknesses of Ms. Hughes' approach of asking students to report their height and weight for statistical calculations?

The response that highlights the lack of active engagement in a hands-on activity accurately identifies a potential weakness in Ms. Hughes' approach. While collecting data on height and weight could provide valuable statistical information, the method of reporting these figures may not involve students in a more interactive or experiential learning process. Engaging students through hands-on activities can enhance their understanding of statistical concepts, as they get to work directly with the data rather than passively providing their own information.

In this case, students could benefit more from opportunities to measure each other or participate in experiments that illustrate statistical principles in action, thus fostering a more dynamic learning environment. Active participation can lead to deeper comprehension and greater retention of the material covered in the class, making it a vital element of effective teaching practices in mathematics.

In contrast, the consideration of whether students might not know or feel comfortable disclosing their height and weight pertains to personal factors and privacy rather than the pedagogical approach itself, which focuses more on engagement and learning. Thus, while those concerns are important, they do not address how the activity promotes or detracts from active participation in learning.