WELCOME TO AP STATS!!!
Summer Assignment
Ms. Klimczuk
Please read the following and watch the youtube video before starting your summer assignment.
My following descriptions about data will help you with your write up.
What are data?
Data are numbers along with their context. They can be numbers (height, time) or labels (colors, gender). Be careful because
some numbers could be labels (zip codes, SSN, student IDs, etc.).
There are two major ways to treat data?
1. A categorical (qualitative) variable is used to answer questions about how cases fall into categories. A categorical
variable may be comprised of word labels, or it may use numbers as labels.
Examples: Color, type, gender, political preference, etc.
2. A quantitative variable is used to answer questions about the quantity of what is being measured. A quantitative
variable is comprised of numeric values.
Examples: Height, weight, size, score, etc.
In order to determine the context of the data, consider the 5 W's (and the H).
The 5 W's + H
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Who: The cases (about whom the data was collected).
What: Variables recorded about each individual (can be categorical or quantitative). What are we measuring or asking?
When: When the data was collected…NOT PUBLISHED!
Where: Where the data was collected.
Why: Why was the data collected? How will this data help us? This helps determine whether the variable should be
treated as categorical or quantitative.
1. How: How was the data collected? Make sure it is collected in a way that is meaningful.
These 6 questions help to describe the most important part of the data. Not the data itself, but the context of the data. Data
collected is useless unless the context is understood as the data will be wrongly interpreted or misused.
Watch the following youtube video to get a better understanding of the 5 W’s + H…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17VOJO-175Y
Assignment 1:
Write down one statistic that you heard in the media that you think was really funny, cool, weird, etc. Write a short description of the
statistic and why you thought it was interesting. We will share these on the first day of class.
Assignment 2:
Review of Great Statistical Research Reports about anything that interests YOU
From the Pew Research Center
1. Find one research report that strongly interests you from the Pew Research Center (pewresearch.org) that focuses on
statistical analysis and strongly interests you. You MUST get the article approved by me before Friday, June 19th. No two
people are allowed to do the same article.
2. Read and re-read the report/article. Underline. Take notes. Think deeply about the statistics. Use the internet to look up
words that you are not familiar.
3. Write up the report/article in the format of the example write up. It is from Pew Research Center’s A Rising Share of Young
Adults Live in Their Parent’s Home.

Title of report/article with Reviewed by… in the format given.

Source(s): URL. If you go to a referred site, list that, too.

5 W’s + H: Make sure you are correctly identifying the Who and What. These can be tricky.

Abstract: A summary of the report/article to tell the reader: (1) What was investigated, (2) How it was investigated,
and (3) What were the conclusions.
 Quantify (dates, numbers, and percentages).
 4 C’s: Complete (has all components). Concise (Not a word that is redundant). Clear (Clarifies all words -nouns and verbs). CONTEXT (What do you want your reader to remember from this article?)
 Have someone else read it to see if they understand. If not, rewrite.

Comments: A minimum of three comments from you including: (1) What was investigated, (2) How it was
investigated, and (3) What were the conclusions.
 YOUR OWN REFLECTIONS on the report/article. Imagine yourself talking to a friend (in AP Stat) and
say, “Yeah! I read the article and it said….. But, what I think is…..)
4. Hand in the write up on the first day of class.
Title & 5W + 1H
Possible Points
10
Abstract
 What was investigated
 How it was investigated
 What were the conclusions
10
10
10
Comments
 What was investigated
 How it was investigated
 What were the conclusions
10
10
10
Clear. Complete. Concise. Context.
30
TOTAL
100
Points Earned
A Rising Share of Young Adults Live in Their Parent’s Home
(August 1st, 2013)
Reviewed by Ms. Klimczuk (June 15th, 2015)
Source: http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/08/01/a-rising-share-of-young-adults-live-in-theirparents-home/
Who: Young adults (Ages 18 – 31)
What: Percentage of young adults living in their parent’s home
When: 2012
Where: United States
Why: The data helps us understand the economic, educational, and cultural factors that impact young
adult living arrangements.
How: The analysis of young adult living arrangements is based on the March Current Population
Survey (CPS). The specific files used in this report are from March 1968 – March 2012. It is
conducted jointly by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Abstract
By analyzing data about living arrangements from March 1968 to March 2012, the Pew Project for Social
and Demographic Trends has determined the percentage of young adults (ages 18 – 31) living with their
parents has increased to 36%. There are many factors that are causing this change. The amount of young
adults that are employed has decreased from 70% in 2007 to 63% in 2012. Unemployed young adults are
more likely to live with their parents. Increased college enrollment is also a major factor. Those enrolled in
college are more likely to be living with their parents. The number of young adults enrolled in college has
increased from 35% in 2007 to 39% in 2012. Pew considers college students living in dorms as still living
with their parents. There are also fewer young adults getting married and those that are unmarried are
more likely to live with their parents. Only 25% of young adults were married in 2012 compared to the
30% in 2007. Pew documents its methodology of calculating percentages by explaining the data obtained
from the March Current Population Survey (CPS). They collected data from approximately 75,000
households and used this sample to make inferences about the nation as a whole. There are also many
more trends related to the number of young adults living at home, and over time, we are seeing drastic
changes happen within households.
Comments
1. I think that it is interesting to see more young adults living with their parents. What I would like to
know is how accurate these findings are. Only 75,000 households were surveyed, which only accounts
for a small amount of the US population. However, the way that they selected their sample was done
with care. They made sure to represent the civilian, non-institutionalized population. This did not
include people living in institutions or the armed forces. The explanation they provide about the
variable definition and sampling error gives me confidence in their results.
2.
By having trained professionals survey the population, Pew was able to dig into data and discuss the
main reasons that young adults still live with their parents. They use a variety of graphs and charts
that are very easy to read and show many different trends. They discuss gender, age groups,
education, etc.
3.
I was surprised to see that the share of young adults living in their parent’s home was relatively
constant from 1968 to 2007 (32%). Household arrangements changed dramatically during this period,
so it is interesting to see the same percentage of young adults still living with their parents. There has
been more change in the number of adults living with their parents in 5 years (2007-2012) than those
39 years (1968-2007).
Shopping list:
 TEXTBOOK: STATS Modeling the World: 4th Edition
(http://wps.aw.com/aw_bock_statsmodworld_4/)
 Graphing Calculators: Required for in-class and homework (TI-83 plus or TI-84 plus).
 Barron's AP Statistics Flashcards (http://www.amazon.com/Barrons-Statistics-FlashCards-Preparation/dp/0764194100):