Susquehanna Township High School
Advanced Placement® Statistics Syllabus
Ms. Mary Beth Nied, Room 312
Email: mnied@hannasd.org
Teacher Page: http://www.hannasd.org/Domain/584
AP Statistics Exam is on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at 12 noon.
Course Description
Advanced Placement Statistics is a one period year-long preliminary course in college level Statistics designed to give
students an introduction to the major concepts of exploring data, sampling and experimentation, probability, and
statistical inference concluding in the AP cumulative course assessment in May. The goal of this course is to offer the
opportunity to earn college credit for an introductory statistics class within the high school environment.
Statistics is the perfect pairing of conceptual mathematics and real world application. Students must not only learn the
mathematics involved in the various statistical analyses, but be able to explain their reasoning in a clear, succinct
manner. Students will find this course applies directly to their biology, psychology, and sociology courses, to name a few.
Structure of the Course
Students have approximately 150 school days prior to the start of the AP Exam weeks in early May to cover all topics
listed within the course description by the CollegeBoard. Students will be required to complete 30 minutes to an hour
and a half of homework, studying and/or reading each night. It is imperative that students complete homework and prereading assignments to be successful in this class. Instructional time will be spent completing exploratory learning
activities, discussing applications of concepts, and exploring techniques for dissecting AP problems. This course utilizes
discovery learning and discussion of real world phenomenon to determine the theories and best practices of statistics.
Students will be exposed to and required to use statistical language when answering questions on any assignment.
Students must clearly explain their rationale and conclusions using appropriate language for each problem they
complete. Previous AP Exam questions will be used as teaching tools and within cumulative unit assessments. Using the
AP style of layering topics within each question, students will be required to draw conclusions across different concepts
from design of study to the analysis and final conclusion, all written within the context of the problem using statistical
language.
Major Topics
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Exploring Data: Describing patterns and departures from patterns
Sampling and Experimentation: Planning and conducting a study
Anticipating Patterns: Exploring random phenomena using probability and simulation
Statistical Inference: Estimating population parameters and testing hypotheses
The entire outline of the course can be found on my teacher page under the AP Statistics tab.
Technology
Technology is utilized in virtually every section of the course. Students must have access to a TI-84 for use on all
assignments both in class and at home. If students are unable to obtain their own calculator, one will be assigned to
them from the class set.
Primary Textbook
Bock, David E., Paul F. Velleman and Richard D. DeVeaux. Stats: Modeling the World. 2nd edition; Boston:
Pearson/Addison-Wesley, 2007.
Expectations
1. Students must conduct themselves in a professional manner (courteous and mature behavior) and follow the
policies and guidelines of the Susquehanna Township School District.
2. Students must maintain a notebook, binder or folder containing all class notes and homework assignments.
3. Students must bring a notebook or folder, textbook, and pencil to class each day. All work should be done in
pencil.
4. Students must complete all exams, quizzes, projects, and the final exam.
5. Students must assume responsibility for their make-up work and grades using their Schoolwires account.
6. During work time in class you are expected to work on statistics and may work either individually or in small
work groups. I am also available for help.
7. The Susquehanna Township School District tardy policy and electronic device policy will be followed.
8. Students talking during a test (but not cheating) will receive a ten percent reduction in their test grade. Students
caught cheating on a test or quiz will receive an immediate zero on the test or quiz, and parents will be notified.
Grading Overview
Students will be graded on practice work and assessments. Practice work is any assignment that is graded for
completeness and will be worth 25% of the student’s grade. This category includes homework, classwork, group work,
and reading check quizzes. Assessments are any assignment that is graded for correctness and will be worth 75% of the
student’s grade. This category includes quizzes, chapter tests, unit tests, cumulative exams, AP problem sets and
projects.
A student may be exempt from the final exam if he or she fulfills the requirements listed by the School District.
Make-up Policy
It is the student’s responsibility to make-up all required notes, homework, quizzes, assignments, projects, and tests.
Homework should be made up within one week upon return to school. Tests and quizzes should be made up within 3
days of return, if new material was presented during the absence. If no new material was presented, quizzes and tests
should be completed during class upon the student’s return to school. If a student is absent on the review day prior to a
unit exam, the student will be required to take the exam on the day of the return. Students may not be permitted to
make up any work assigned during an unexcused absence.
Remind.com
An account at remind.com is set up for one way communicating between teacher and students/parents. Please see the
attached page to register to use this service.
Additional Help
It is the student’s responsibility to seek out extra help when struggling with concepts or problems. After school study
sessions will be held throughout the course of the year and should be attended as regularly as possible. Several other
tutoring opportunities are also available to students both before and after school. Students should use these sessions to
gain understanding on difficult concepts and to reinforce previously mastered ideas. AP courses require students to
have a working knowledge of the content previously discussed so review is critical to success.
Student and parents/guardians are encouraged to contact the teacher with any questions or for suggestions regarding
additional assistance.
Notes on the Outline:
The outline below provides the topic structure for each unit. Chapters from the BVD book are linked together to
form the units. Each unit begins with an introduction discussion which centers around real-world situations
involving the topic presented within each section. Assignments will be given from the corresponding chapter’s
problem set or related worksheet. Students will sometimes be given AP problems as homework or classwork as
well.
Course Outline: Organized by Chapter in Primary Text Book (BVD)
Unit 1: Exploring and Understanding Data
Chapter 1: Stats Starts Here
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Introduction to Statistics and the Real World
Statistics-Singular and Plural
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Data/Datum
Conceptual understanding of variation
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Variable- Categorical Variable, Quantitative
Variable and Identifier Variable
Unit for Quantitative Variable
Entering Data into TI-84
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Area Principle
Variable Independence
Simpson’s Paradox
Bar Chart
Relative Frequency Bar Chart
Pie Chart
Segmented Bar Chart
Chapter 2: Data
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Context
Data
Data table
Cases/Respondents/Subjects/
Chapter 3: Displaying and Describing Categorical Data
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Frequency Table
Relative Frequency Tables
Distribution
Contingency Tables
Marginal Distributions
Conditional Distribution
Categorical Data Condition
Chapter 4: Displaying Quantitative Data
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Distribution
Histogram
Relative Frequency Histogram
Stem-And-Leaf Display
Dotplot
Shape, Center, Spread,
Mode, Unimodal, Bimodal, Multimodal,
Uniform,
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Symmetric
Tails
Skewedness
Outliers
Timeplot
Cumulative Relative Frequency
Create Graphical displays on the TI-84
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5-Number Summary
Boxplot
Mean
Variance
Standard Deviation
Create Graphical displays on the TI-84
Chapter 5: Describing Distributions Numerically
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Center
Median
Spread
Range
Quartile
Interquartile Range (IQR)
Percentile
Unit 2: The Normal Curve- 9 Days
Chapter 6: The standard Deviation as a Ruler and the Normal Model
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Shifting
Rescaling
Standardizing
Standardized Value
Normal Model
Parameter
Statistic
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Z-Score
Standard Normal Model
68-95-99.7 Rule
Normal Percentile
Normal Probability Plot
Changing Center and Spread
Use T-84 to find Z-Scores
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Correlation
Outlier
Lurking Variable
Scatterplots, Association, and Correlation on
the TI-84
Unit 3: Exploring Bivariate Data (Part A)- 16 Days
Chapter 7: Scatterplots, Association, and Correlation
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Scatterplots
Association (Direction, Form, Strength)
Explanatory Variable
Response Variable
X-Variable, Y-Variable
Chapter 8- Linear Regression
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Model
Linear Model
Residuals
Predicted Value
Slope
Regression To The Mean
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Regression Line/Line Of Best Fit
Intercept
Least Squares
R2
Linear Regressions and the TI-84
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Leverage
Influential Point
Lurking Variable
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Outcome
Trial
Response Variable
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Simple Random Sample (SRS)
Sampling Variability
Stratified Random Sample
Cluster Sample
Multistage Sample
Systematic Sample
Voluntary Response Bias
Convenience Sample
Under-Coverage
Nonresponse Bias
Response Bias
Unit 4: Exploring Bivariate Data (Part B)
Chapter 9: Regression Wisdom
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Subset
Extrapolation
Outlier
Chapter 10: Re-Expressing Data: Get It Straight!
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Re-Express Data
Ladder Of Powers
Unit 5: Gathering DataChapter 11: Understanding Randomness
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Random
Random Numbers
Simulation
Simulation Component
Chapter 12: Sample Surveys
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Population
Sample
Sample Survey
Bias
Randomization
Matching
Sample Size
Census
Population Parameter
Statist
Sample Statistic
Representative
Chapter 13: Experiments and Observational Studies
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Observational Study
Retrospective Study
Prospective Study
Experiment
Random Assignment
Factor
Response
Experimental Unit
Level
Treatment
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Principles Of Experimental Design (Control,
Randomize, Replicate, Block)
Statistically Significant
Control Group
Blinding, Single-Blind, Double-Blind
Placebo, Placebo Effect
Block
Matching
Designs
Confounding
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“Something Has To Happen Rule”
Complement Rule
Disjoint (Mutually Exclusive)
Addition Rule
Legitimate Probability Assignment
Multiplication Rule
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Independence
Multiplication Rule
General Multiplication Rule
Tree Diagram
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Variance, Standard Deviation
Changing A Random Variable By A Constant
Adding Or Subtracting Random Variables
TI-84 Applications
Unit 6: Probability
Chapter 14: From Randomness to Probability
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Random Phenomenon
Probability
Trial
Outcome
Event
Independence (Informally)
Law Of Large Numbers
Chapter 15- Probability Rules!
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Sample Space
Disjoint Events
Addition Rule
General Addition Rule
Conditional Probability
Unit 7: Random Variables (Probability Part B)
Chapter 16: Random Variables
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Random Variable
Discrete Random Variable
Continuous Random Variable
Probability Model
Expected Value
Chapter 17: Probability Models
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Bernoulli Trials
Geometric Probability Model
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Binomial Probability Model
Success/Failure Condition
Unit 8: Sampling Distribution of Proportions and Understanding the Tests
Chapter 18: Sampling Distribution Models
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Sampling Distribution Model
Sampling Distribution Model For A
Proportion
Central Limit Theorem
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Sampling Distribution Model For A Mean
Standard Error
Ti-84 Applications
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Critical Value,
Assumptions
Conditions
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P-Value
One-Proportion Z-Test
TI-84 Applications
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Type I Error
Type II Error
Power
Effect Size
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Pooling
Two-Proportion Z-Test
TI-84 Tests
Chapter 19: Confidence Intervals for Proportions
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Confidence Interval
One-Proportion Z-Interval
TI-84 Z-One-Proportion Z-Interval
Margin Of Error
Chapter 20: Testing Hypotheses About Proportions
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Null Hypothesis
Alternative Hypothesis
Two-Sided Alternative
One-Sided Alternative
Chapter 21: More About Tests
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Statistically Significant
Alpha Level
Significance Level
Critical Value
Chapter 22: Comparing Two Proportions
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Variance of Independent Random Variables
Sampling Distribution Of The Difference
Between Two Proportions
Two-Proportion Z-Interval
Unit 9: Sampling Distribution of Means
Chapter 23: Inference About Means
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Student’s t
Degrees Of Freedom
One-Sample T-Interval
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One-Sample T-Test for the Mean
Tests on the TI-84
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Pooled-T Methods
Pooled T-Test
Tests on the TI-84
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Independence
Two-Way Table
Chi-Square Models
Chi-Square Component
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Confidence Interval For A Predicted Mean
Value
Prediction Interval For An Individual
Chapter 24: Comparing Means
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Two-Sample T- Methods
Two-Sample T-Interval
Two-Sample T-Test
Pooling
Chapter 25: Paired Samples and Blocks
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Paired Data
Paired T-Test
Paired-T Confidence Interval
Unit 10: Chi-Squared TestChapter 26: Comparing Counts
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Goodness-Of-Fit
Chi-Square Statistic
Cell Homogeneity
Standardized Residual
Contingency Table
Unit 11: Inference of Slope
Chapter 27- Inference for Regression
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Conditions For Inference In Regression
Residual Standard Deviation
T-Test For The Regression Slope
Confidence Interval For The Regression Slop
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