Actual Stats
Material
FINALLY!
Take a Moment to Ask Yourself
Have I read chapter 1 yet?
What even is Statistics?
As previously discussed in class, there are really-big-word-containing
definitions out there on the internet.
The practice or science of collecting and analyzing numerical data in
large quantities, especially for the purpose of inferring proportions in a
whole from those in a representative sample. (Google)
Statistics is the study of the collection, analysis, interpretation,
presentation, and organization of data. (Wikipedia)
Statistics is the science of learning from data, and of measuring,
controlling, and communicating uncertainty; and it thereby provides the
navigation essential for controlling the course of scientific and societal
advances. (Amstat.org - which admittedly is a biased source)
Something Closer To Home
“Sounds a lot like control, sense, and alter which can apply to
knowledge and to people. For those who do not know, those are the
three pillars of a Jedi's use of the force. Statistics is the force.” (Mr.
Sanford - a biased source of information for pretty much all his
information)
We also learned that Statistics as a subject is something that can
provide radical changes in our entire system of perceiving the world
(known as paradigm shifts, btw) (paradigm is pronounced para-dime)
We also learned that statistics goes beyond the math. It is the snickers
bar which contains the peanuts of mathematics.
Let’s focus on what other people might say.
Some People Say…
“Evil.”
“Hard.”
“I hate fat, stupid hobbits statistics.”
“A tool of Satan.”
“A good way to lie.”
“Not even once.”
“Jorbelyjorbelyjorbelyjorbely…”
“I had to take that class twice.”
“Stats is a bad mother shut your mouth.”
I People Say…
These people did not take stats from Mr. Sanford.
I turn stats into a class you pass the first time.
Because you understand it.
Like a boss.
AP Stats is “the feel-good math of the year”.
You can quote me on that.
What is AP Statistics about?
Stuff.
Lots of stuff.
For now we will start with data, graphs, and charts.
There will be bar charts and pie charts and lineplots and
dotplots…stemplots and boxplots and Donner and Blitzen.
Just kidding on the reindeer.
The Way of the
Quiz
THAT YOU MIGHT LEARN
Advanced Vocabulary!
Harbinger – A sign or message of what is to come, or else the person
who delivers such a message or sign.
My quizzes typically are accompanied by three harbingers.
The first harbinger is the set of quiz bulletpoints.
The second harbinger is the practice quiz/quiz review.
The third harbinger is the lunchtime study session which I host to avoid
loneliness.
English Is Fun!
Our language is really, really fun.
For the first two years I went to college, I was declared as a creative
writing minor.
Then I came to ISU, which did not have a creative writing minor at the
time.
Of course, they do now, but I am not bitter. Haha.
The verb form of harbinger is not “to harbinge” as one might expect,
but is instead “to harbinger”.
Harbingers harbinger.
The
st
1
Harbinger
Quiz bulletpoints are awesome!
They have a 1-to-1 correspondence with the quiz.
This means that if there are 5 bulletpoints given, it is a 5 question quiz.
◦ And each bulletpoint, in order, matches a question on that quiz.
They allow you to focus, somewhat, your efforts when studying for the
quiz.
The
nd
2
Harbinger
Practice quizzes are often posted before the quiz.
Sometimes this means the night before the quiz.
I do not promise this will always occur, but it will happen often enough.
Even if you do not make time to look at it, printing it and bringing that
to the lunchtime session is often worth your time.
The
rd
3
Harbinger
The lunch before a quiz (which is the day before the quiz if you are in
first through third hour), I find a way to be available during as much of
lunch as possible.
I am there to answer questions you have about the quiz.
If you are nervous about the quiz, come on in even if you do not have
specific questions.
You might learn things just from listening to me answer someone else’s
questions.
Actual Stats
Material
FINALLY!
What is (are) statistics?
Statistics is a way of reasoning designed to help us understand the
world.
◦ Includes a collection of tools and methods.
Probably the newest branch of mathematics…and constantly changing.
Statistics are particular calculations made from data.
Numerical summaries of data.
Statistics
The branch of mathematics that collects, analyzes, displays, and
interprets data.
The art of distilling meaning from data.
Uncovering the story the data have to tell.
…is about variation.
What is Statistics?
Statistics is a collection of tools and methods used to help us
understand the world.
Statistics is a science…and is built on rationality.
Statistics is an art and can require the use of intuition, common sense,
and the concise use of language.
The “New” Math
In the recent change to the common core, there have been a lot of
people grabbing their torches and pitchforks in order to complain about
the “new” math.
It isn’t new math. It is just taught differently. Same math, new teaching
style.
This new approach to the same math is exciting to me, because math
pretty much never changes.
I think this is part of why people are so nervous. It is really harshing
their sense of security.
The “New” Math
Geometry is still about the same topics, although different parts of
emphasized differently, and there is more of a push towards solving
ambiguous problems, the geometry itself has not changed primarily for
over 1000 years.
Even in AP Calculus, the material has really only changed in the last 50
years in the regard that new calculators let us do some really sweet
stuff.
There have been changes with more advanced calculus courses, mind
you.
The “New” Math
Statistics changes in a way math doesn’t.
Even at the introductory level.
Statistics, as a field, has changed since last school year started.
A major academic journal refuses to publish articles based on a
technique which we learn later called hypothesis testing.
It is still useful to learn, but it is already on the way out as something
that will be done in research.
What is data?
Values along with their context.
Data is technically a plural term, although it is commonly misused as a
singular term.
The singular term is datum.
Mr. Sanford is not honestly all that concerned with whether or not you
use proper verb agreement with the word data.
Subject Verb Agreement
Statistics (singular) refers to the science of Statistics.
Statistics (plural) are summaries of data.
Data is plural, and datum is singular.
Mr. Sanford does not care too heavily that you use proper subject/verb
agreement, but does want you to know the two meanings of Statistics
and why they are different.
The Unsupporting
Cast
INCLUDES BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO…
Unsupporting Is Not A Word
It is, however, a critical part of the puntastic nature of the title slide for
this section.
You see, there are certain archetypes for people which, as we learn
about statistics, are handy to be aware of.
Some of you may even be like these archetypes.
Mr. Cheeseburger
I know that it would be more appropriate to use Mr./Mrs./Ms., but I am
confident that the original perpetrator was male.
At my senior all night party there was a bouncy house where one could
put on huge boxing gloves and take out some aggression on a fellow.
The warning picture for “do not eat” was a cheeseburger. As in the
picture had a visible layer of cheese.
I bet there was a story.
The best warning labels have one.
The Internet Agrees
Mr. Cheeseburger
Mr. Cheeseburger represents both men and women who need
instructions that are so clear and so specific that the rest of us do not
even realize those instructions needed to be said.
These people are real and they are out there.
You need to be aware of them, because for all the things they do not
seem to know, they always seem to know a good lawyer.
And they will sue.
More to Follow
While this is not an exhaustive list, here are some other examples of the
unsupporting cast for statistics:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
The Casual Observer
The Cave Person
The Hasty Generalizer
The “Scientist” (The quotes are meaningful)
The Exemplar
The Dissembler
The Disbeliever
The Competitive Debater
Each of these labels have some degree of meaning outside of their
traditional meaning.
Assignments
Read Chapter 1 (if you have not already).
Read Chapter 2
◦ Walk through the TI tips on p. 14
◦ Review Terms and Skills section on p. 15
◦ Read “Data on the Computer” on p. 16
Prepare an answer to the following question: Why do we talk about “a
statistic” when we don’t discuss “a mathematic” or “a physic”?
◦ As in the singular of physics, not as in medieval medication.
Chapter 2 HW: 2-7, 25, 26
◦ We have not discussed these yet, so you are encouraged not to start them
yet.
Quiz Bulletpoints
Know what T-S-T stands for and what each one
means.
Know how to identify the 5 W’s and How in a study.
Know the difference between a qualitative and
quantitative variable.
Know how to find percentages from a contingency
table.
Know the area principle.