The better statistical question to ask your classmates if you are interested in finding out which movies sixth graders enjoy watching is:
"What are three of your favorite movies?"
Explanation:
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Broader Range of Responses: Asking for "three favorite movies" allows for a wider range of data. Students may have different tastes, and this question enables them to express more than just a single preference. A single recent movie might not reflect their overall preferences.
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Identifying Trends: By collecting multiple favorite movies from each classmate, you can identify trends in movie preferences. If you only ask about the most recent movie, it might not represent their favorites or the movies they enjoy watching repeatedly.
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Statistical Analysis: A question that asks for multiple favorites lends itself well to statistical analysis—like counting how many times each movie is mentioned and determining the most liked movies overall. The first question might yield only a few unique responses.
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Informed Preferences: The question about favorite movies better captures ongoing interests as opposed to just a fleeting impression from a recent viewing.
In summary, "What are three of your favorite movies?" is more effective for gathering comprehensive and useful statistical data about the movie preferences of sixth graders.