Statistics: The Big Picture
A Look at Trends through Statistics and Literature Analysis
Course Description
Statistics shape our lives. Determinations of what is normal and what is
expected help us to predict what will happen in the future. With a true
understanding of statistics, we can understand what needs to be done in order to make sense of
data. The course will cover the basic concepts of central tendency, standard deviation, binomial
distributions, probability, and correlation. Most data collected will be that of the student in an
effort to generate interest of the statistics that surround them.
Required Readings
A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper - John Allen Paulos
In this book the author of reveals the hidden mathematical angles in
countless media stories. His real life perspective on the statistics we rely on
and how they can mislead is for anyone interested in gaining a more accurate
view of their world. The book is written with a humorous and knowledgeable
style that makes it great reading
The Lady Tasting Tea: How Statistics Revolutionize - David Salsburg
Science is inextricably linked with mathematics. Statistician David
Salsburg examines the development of ever-more-powerful statistical
methods for determining scientific truth in The Lady Tasting Tea, a series
of historical and biographical sketches that illuminate without alienating
the mathematically timid. Salsburg, who has worked in academia and
industry and has met many of the major players he writes about, shares his
subjects' enthusiasm for problem solving and deep thinking. His sense of
excitement drives the prose, but never at the expense of the reader; if anything, the author has
taken pains to eliminate esoterica and ephemera from his stories. This might frustrate a few
number-head readers, but the abundant notes and references should keep them happy in the
library for weeks after reading the book.
Cluster: Systems
Course Benchmarks
1
5
11
42
43
53
64
75
81
This student found, maintained, and/or organized data from a variety of sources in order
to better understand the whole system.
This student predicted changes that might occur, because of the in-depth knowledge of
the cause and effect relationships found in the studied system.
By studying parts of the system, this student read and/or produced plans, models,
simulations, budgets, reports, and/or theories that represented the whole system.
By verifying the accuracy and completeness of researched information, this student
communicated clearly thought-out responses and devised logical answers to problems
presented.
By gathering and organizing historical evidence, this student extrapolated theories and
concepts about the patterns that exist in human experience.
This student used knowledge of large trends to predict outcomes in smaller, more
localized settings.
This student predicted outcomes because of his/her understanding of probability and the
evidence presented.
This student gathered information from a variety of quality electronic, print and/ or oral
sources and smoothly incorporated/ documented the relevant, balanced sources as
supporting evidence in their posts/papers. Documentation is error-free.
This student easily used the tools available in MOODLE to communicate ideas, find
information, organize their time and share images and projects with the class.
Each week students are to complete a guiding question with activities, a reading selection, and
the production of a statistical presentation.
The student will use Microsoft Office applications of Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
WEEK ONE: Collection and Presentation of Statistics
Guiding Question (xx) How are statistics collected and what is done with them once they are
in the hands of the statistician? We will explore the six step system of statistical analysis.
• Identify the problem
• Collect the data
• Analyze the data
• Draw conclusions
• Make recommendations
• Present the results
Investigation (x): The presentation of statistics is an art. Once your document is finished, you
need to ask yourself, “Would someone sitting in a dentist office waiting room pick this up and
take a look at it?” A look at presentations by USA Today will be a great start.
http://www.usatoday.com/educate/statrat/student.htm
Activities (x):
1. Determine your company name and logo
2. Work with Excel to produce a bar, line, or circle graph with clip art
• Graph
• Title
• Clip Art
• Source of Data
• Company Name
3. Collect data and produce your own USA Today Snapshot
Reading (x): Go to the website
http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~redgeman/Sampling%20PDF%20Files/SurveyData.pdf to
learn about data collection.
Online Discussion:
1. Choose a graph from the Stat Rat collection and tell about it. What do the statistics tell
you? What kind of graph is it? What makes it neat? What doesn’t? Anything else?
2. Publish your graph for the class. Take a look at others. Comment on them.
WEEK TWO: Frequency, Frequency Distribution, Errors and
Percent Errors
Guiding Question: If a set of data is given to you, how do you analyze it to find out which
numbers in the set are normal and which are not?
Investigation: Vocabulary is important to statistics. We need a good glossary of terms to get
us started in stats.
Activities: Roll Them Bones Shaking dice and a frequency table with an analysis of frequency,
relative frequency, error, and percent error. Produce a table from one dice shake and two by
collecting information from the entire class.
Reading: http://www.learner.org/channel/courses/learningmath/data/session3/index.html
Online Discussion: Discuss situation in real life where errors naturally occur. For instance, it
is acceptable for a baseball player to not get a hit 70% of the time. Talk about situations where
errors ranging from 0% to 100% are generally accepted.
WEEK THREE: Central Tendency and the Normal Distribution of
Data
Guiding Question: What is a normal distribution of data?
Investigation: Find the difference between data that has a central tendency and data that does
not. Learn about mean, median, mode, and range.
Activities: Not Your Average Person Collect data that has a central tendency and find the
mean, median mode, and range.
Reading: http://www.corsinet.com/trivia/average.html
Online Discussion: Why is your birthday not part of a data set that would have a central
tendency?
WEEK FOUR: Standard Deviation
Guiding Question: What pieces of data fit in a normal range and to what degree?
Investigation: Find out what standard deviations are and how they fit the normal distribution
curve. The curve is nothing more than a smoothed out bar graph. Find one that works for you.
Activities: This is Me Find a good standard deviation calculator on the internet. Collect some
data about yourself and find out where you stand compared to the rest of the population. Find
out about outliers.
Reading: http://www.robertniles.com/stats/stdev.shtml
Online Discussion: Where does your height fall on the normal distribution curve? What
percent of the population is above and below you? How big is the shortest person and the tallest
person you know ?
WEEK FIVE: Probability
Guiding Question: What are the chances of anything happening? How do you express
probability and what does it mean?
Investigation: Would you like to be drafted into the army? Find out how the selection process
for soldiers worked for the Vietnam War. Would you have taken a trip to the draft board?
Activities: What are the Chances? Design a probability of something happening in your life
and test it out.
Reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft_lottery_(1969)
Online Discussion: Discuss the Vietnam War lottery and decide whether or not it would work
today.
WEEK SIX: Binomial Distributions
Guiding Question: Do you think you might have ESP. Can you pass a multiple choice test just
by guessing? Binomial distributions will lead to the answer.
Investigation: Find out if you and your friends or family members have ESP by doing a simple
experiment with a deck of cards.
Activities: May the Odds Be With You Design a binomial experiment of your own.
Reading: http://wizbangblog.com/content/2008/09/01/how-polls-work-and-how-they-do-notwork.php
Online Discussion: Do you think people tell the truth when they are surveyed? Why or why
not?
WEEK SEVEN: Confidence Levels
Guiding Question: How does the accuracy of your prediction change when the sample size
changes? How do confidence levels help you to predict the accuracy of your results?
Investigation: Let’s find the value of confidence levels in making predictions. Of what value
are the predictions?
Activities: Worksheet on finding confidence levels from a binomial situation. Find a 95%
confidence level from the binomial experiment that you did last week.
Reading: http://www.isixsigma.com/library/content/c040607a.asp
Online Discussion: If you did a taste test of three different colas, how confident are you that
you have a clear winner?
WEEK EIGHT:
Correlation
Guiding Question: To what degree does one factor have on another? For instance, does your
height have anything to do with your arm span, the size of your foot, the length of your ear?
Investigation: Why Do They Call Me Monkey Arms? By collecting measurements of you and
your classmates, you can find out where you stand with regard to being normal.
Activities: Collect a set of data that has a cause and effect and build a correlation graph
complete with the regression equation it produces. Discuss the findings.
Reading: http://scienceblogs.com/goodmath/2007/01/basics_correlation_1.php
Online Discussion: What is the correlation between the number of hours you spend on
homework and your grades? What do the studies show? Where to you stack up with the rest
of the world?
WEEK NINE: Wrap Up
Guiding Question: What would you like to prove to the world by using statistics?
Investigation: Use a bag of Skittles to learn a ton about statistics. Skittles are evenly
distributed according to the Mars Candy Company. That means that a bag should have the same
number of each color. What do you think? Who sits and counts them to make sure before each
bag goes out.
Activities: Prove it Prepare a PowerPoint presentation for the class that proves your point by
using appropriate statistics.
Reading: http://nationsreportcard.gov/reading_2007/r0001.asp
Online Discussion: What were the things that you learned in class that you expect to stay with
you forever?
Face-to-Face Plans
1st f2f Goals: Understanding the basic concepts of statistics and the purpose for them.
How to use Excel to compute statistics and produce graphs.
• Discuss the six step system of statistical analysis
• Data analysis using Excel
• Basic vocabulary terms for the course
2nd f2f Goals: To understand the concept of standard deviation. How to determine
simple probability and its role in normal distributions.
• Discussion on book, A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper
• Standard Deviation and z-values
• Understanding basic probability
3rd f2f Goals: To summarize what was learned in class and to share project results.
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Discussion on book, The Lady Tasting Tea
Presentation of projects to the class.
The world famous Skittles experiment.