Academy of the Pacific Rim
Charter Public School
Scope and Sequence
Grade Level/Course: AP Stats (grade 12)
Teacher: Culpepper
Year: 2013-14
Course Essential Question(s):
How do we collect, analyze, draw conclusions from, and make predictions based on data?
How do we use these statistical tools and concepts to investigate the world around us?
How do we interpret and make informed decisions based on statistics we see in the media and elsewhere?
Unit #1 : Sampling and Experimentation: Planning
and Conducting a Study (10%-15% of exam)
Duration: 2-3 weeks
Topics to be Covered:
Standards:
A. Overview of methods of data collection
1. Census
2. Sample survey
3. Experiment
4. Observational study
B. Planning and conducting surveys
1. Characteristics of a well-designed and wellconducted survey
2. Populations, samples, and random selection
3. Sources of bias in sampling and surveys
4. Sampling methods, including simple random
sampling, stratified random sampling, and cluster
sampling
S-IC: Understand and evaluate random
processes underlying statistical experiments
(1-2)
Essential
Questions and
Assessment Tools
How can we best
develop a plan to
S-IC: Make inferences and justify conclusions collect data in order to
from sample surveys, experiments, and
answer a question?
observational studies (3)
How does the type
and manner of data
collection affect the
analysis and
conclusions that can
C. Planning and conducting experiments
1. Characteristics of a well-designed and wellconducted experiment
2. Treatments, control groups, experimental units,
random assignments, and replication
3. Sources of bias and confounding, including
placebo effect and blinding
4. Completely randomized design
5. Randomized block design, including matched
pairs design
D. Generalizability of results and types of conclusions that
can be drawn from observational studies, experiments,
and surveys
be drawn from the
data?
Assessments:
Creation and
implementation of
surveys designed to
create biased and
unbiased data
Experimental design
proposals and
presentations
Traditional summative
assessment
Unit #2: Exploring Data: Describing Patterns and
Departures From Patterns (20-30% of exam)
Duration: 7-8 Weeks
Outline of Topics:
Standards:
A. Constructing and interpreting graphical displays
of distributions of univariate data (dotplot,
stemplot, histogram, cumulative frequency plot)
B. Center and spread
1. Clusters and gaps
2. Outliers and other unusual features
3. Shape
C. Summarizing distributions of univariate data
1. Measuring center: median, mean
2. Measuring spread: range, interquartile
range, standard deviation
3. Measuring position: quartiles, percentiles,
standardized scores (z-scores)
4. Using boxplots
S-ID: Summarize, represent, and interpret data on a
single count or measurement variable (1-4)
S-ID: Summarize, represent, and interpret data on two
categorical and quantitative variables
S-ID: Interpret linear models (7-9)
Essential
Questions and
Assessment Tools
How do we
summarize and
describe the features
of distributions?
How can we generate
conjectures about
relationships between
variables?
What is the difference
between association
5. The effect of changing units on summary
measures
D. Comparing distributions of univariate data
(dotplots, back-to-back stemplots, parallel
boxplots)
1. Comparing center and spread: within
group, between group variation
2. Comparing clusters and gaps
3. Comparing outliers and other unusual
features
4. Comparing shapes
E. Exploring bivariate data
1. Analyzing patterns in scatterplots
2. Correlation and linearity
3. Least-squares regression line
4. Residual plots, outliers, and influential
points
5. Transformations to achieve linearity:
logarithmic and power transformations
F. Exploring categorical data
1. Frequency tables and bar charts
2. Marginal and joint frequencies for twoway tables
3. Conditional relative frequencies and
association
4. Comparing distributions using bar charts
Unit #3: Anticipating Patterns: Exploring random
phenomena using probability and simulation. (20%30% of exam)
Topics to be covered:
Standards:
A. Probability
1. Interpreting probability, including
long-run relative frequency
interpretation
2. 'Law of Large Numbers' concept
and causation?
Assessments:
Final project using
these measures to
analyze ‘good’ and
‘bad’ datasets from
the previous unit, and
similar projects
involving data
analysis
Graph portfolio
Traditional unit
assessment
Duration: 7-8 weeks
S-ID: Summarize, represent, and interpret data on a single
count or measurement variable (4, which deals with
normal distributions and when such distributions are
appropriate)
Unit Essential
Questions and
Assessment Tools:
What does “in the
long run” actually
mean and how can it
3. Addition rule, multiplication rule,
conditional probability, and
independence
4. Discrete random variables and their
probability distributions, including
binomial and geometric
5. Simulation of random behavior and
probability distributions
6. Mean (expected value) and standard
deviation of a random variable, and
linear transformation of a random
variable
B. Combining independent random variables
1. Notion of independence versus
dependence
2. Mean and standard deviation for
sums and differences of
independent random variables
C. The normal distribution
1. Properties of the normal
distribution
2. Using tables of the normal
distribution
3. The normal distribution as a model
for measurements
D. Sampling distributions
1. Sampling distribution of a sample
proportion
2. Sampling distribution of a sample
mean
3. Central Limit Theorem
4. Sampling distribution of a
difference between two independent
sample proportions
5. Sampling distribution of a
difference between two independent
sample means
6. Simulation of sampling
distributions
S-CP: Understand independence and conditional probability
and use them to interpret data (1-5)
be a useful concept?
S-CP: Use the rules of probability to compute probabilities
of compound events in a uniform probability model
(6-8)
How can probability
distributions be used
to describe data?
S-MD: Calculate expected values and use them to solve
problems.
S-MD: Use probability to evaluate outcomes of decisions
How do we know that
we can use samples to
make conjectures
about larger
populations?
Assessments:
Casino project (or
something comparable
for section A-B)
Continuation of
project based on
datasets from Unit 1
(or new studentgenerated datasets);
similar data-analysis
projects based on
student interests
Traditional unit
assessment
7. t-distribution
8. Chi-square distribution
Unit #4: Statistical Inference: Estimating Population
Parameters and Testing Hypotheses (30%-40% of
exam)
Duration: 8-9 weeks
Topics to be covered:
Standards:
A. Estimation (point estimators and confidence intervals)
S-IC: Make inferences and justify
conclusions from sample surveys,
experiments, and observational studies (4-6)
1. Estimating population parameters and margins of error
2. Properties of point estimators, including unbiasedness
and variability
3. Logic of confidence intervals, meaning of confidence
level and confidence intervals, and properties of
confidence intervals
4. Large sample confidence interval for a proportion
5. Large sample confidence interval for a difference
between two proportions
6. Confidence interval for a mean
7. Confidence interval for a difference between two
means (unpaired and paired)
8. Confidence interval for the slope of a least-squares
regression line
B. Tests of significance
1. Logic of significance testing, null and alternative
hypotheses; p-values; one- and two-sided tests;
concepts of Type I and Type II errors; concept of
power
2. Large sample test for a proportion
3. Large sample test for a difference between two
proportions
4. Test for a mean
5. Test for a difference between two means (unpaired and
paired)
6. Chi-square test for goodness of fit, homogeneity of
Essential
questions:
How can we use
models to draw
conclusions from
data?
How can we use data
to criticize or falsify
models?
How can we make
inferences from data
to select models and
to determine the
probability and
confidence about the
model?
Assessments:
Continuation of
project using datasets
from Unit 1 (or new,
student-generated
datasets); similar dataanalysis projects
based on student
proportions, and independence (one- and two-way
tables)
7. Test for the slope of a least-squares regression line.
Unit #5: AP test review
interests
Traditional unit
assessment
Duration: 3-4 weeks
Topics to be covered:
Standards:
All topics listed above.
All standards listed above.
Essential
Questions:
All essential questions
listed above.
Assessments:
AP test and practice
tests.
Unit #6: post-AP work
Duration: 6 weeks
Topics to be covered:
Standards:
Essential Questions:
More advanced topics or more advanced
applications of earlier topics will be
covered based on student interest. This will
likely include multiple regression.
TBD
TBD
Assessments:
TBD