Statistics
Effort is the Key to Success There is no Shortcut
Economics
Money (and why it is
good)
Psychology
Why we think what we
think (we think)
Biology
Life
Anthropology

Who?
History
What, Where and When?
Philosophy
Why?
Engineering
How?
Accounting
How much?
Statistics
Variation
Data varies.
People are different.
We have to make
decisions on data
because no one is
perfect
Why Statistics?
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Everywhere
Applications
Needed for college
Interesting
Cartoon from textbook
Case Study
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Robert Martin turned 55
in 1991.
Worked for Westvaco
Corporation
Was laid off.
He claims it was
because of age.
Use of statistics to
prove.
Exploration
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Informal
Gathering of Data
Open ended
examination of data for
patterns
Use of graphs etc.
Data cartoon from Textbook
Statistics
Introduction
Data Collection
• Let’s collect
some data
• Simple graphs
S_A_I_T_C_
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1.
2.
3.
4.
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Sometime every day of your life
you will encounter meeting with
some sort of data or statistical
study.
Do you agree?
1. Yes
2. No
o
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N
Ye
s
0%
Countdown
What is your class?
Freshman
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
Se
Ju
0%
ni
or
0%
ni
or
0%
ph
om
or
e
So
hm
an
0%
Fr
es
1.
2.
3.
4.
10
Countdown
How much money do
you carry?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
$0-5
$6-10
$11-20
$21-100
More than
$100
0%
$0-5
0%
0%
$6-10
$11-20
0%
$21-100
0%
10
More than
Countdown
$100
How many pairs of
shoes do you own?
1
2-4
5-6
More than 7
pair
pa
i
r
0%
M
or
e
th
a
n
7
6
5-
0%
4
0%
2-
0%
1
1.
2.
3.
4.
10
Countdown
Boys # shoes
1
2-4
5-6
More than 7
or
e
th
a
n
7
0%
10
M
6
5-
0%
4
0%
2-
0%
1
1.
2.
3.
4.
Countdown
Girls: # shoes
1
2-4
5-6
More than 7
or
e
th
a
n
7
0%
M
6
5-
0%
4
0%
2-
0%
1
1.
2.
3.
4.
10
Countdown
How much sleep did you
get last night?
0-4 hours
5-6
7-8
More than 8
hours
rs
ho
u
8
7-
0%
8
6
0%
5-
0%
4
ho
ur
s
0%
M
or
e
th
a
n
0-
1.
2.
3.
4.
10
Countdown
Which do you prefer for
dating?
1. I can’t yet, I
am too young
2. Older dates
3. Younger dates
4. Blind dates
s
da
te
es
B
lin
d
rd
at
un
ge
O
ld
e
rd
at
Yo
10
Ic
an
’t
y
et
,I
am
to
o
...
es
0% 0% 0% 0%
Countdown
Are you satisfied with
your schedule?
1.
2.
3.
4.
This will be my
best year yet
Why did I get put
into some of the
classes?
I’m just here
because I am
required to be here
I’m going to my
counselor to
change my
schedule
0%
10
This will be my b...
Why did I get put...
I’m just here bec...
I’m going to my c...
Countdown
Inference
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Follows strict rules
Judges if things you
found are what you
expect
Decide if evidence
proves
Statistics?
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Statistics is a way of reasoning, along with a
collection of tools and methods, designed to
help us understand the world.
Statistics (plural) are particular calculations
made from data.
Statistics is about how to think clearly about
data.
Let’s Get started
One of the interesting
challenges of
Statistics is that,
unlike some math
and science classes,
there can be more
than one answer.
2 right answers?
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People make mistakes sometimes intentionally
Some mistakes are unintentional
Some mistakes are on purpose to mislead
Sometimes the method causes mistakes
Equation challenge
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Equations are for expressing a mathematical
idea concisely and are not the main point of
statistics.
In Statistics we think about a problem, find
and show results and tell others what you have
discovered.
The W’s
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Who
What (and in what
units)
When
Where
Why
How
Exercise
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Think
Identify the W’s
Find variables
Classify (quantitative or
qualitative)
Identify units
Oscars
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Ages of Oscar-winning Best Actors and
Actresses by Richard Brown and Gretchen
Davis gives the ages of actors and actresses at
the time they won Oscars. We might use these
data to see whether actors and actresses are
likely to win Oscars at about the same age or
not.
Weighing Bears

Because of the difficulty
of weighing a bear in
the woods, researchers
caught and measured 54
bears, recording their
weight, neck size,
length, and sex. They
hoped to find a way to
estimate weight from
the other, more easily
determined quantities.
Arby’s Menu
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A listing posted by the Arby’s restaurant chain
gives, for each of the sandwiches it sells, the
type of meat in the sandwich; the number of
calories, and the serving size in ounces. The
data might be used to assess the nutritional
value of the different sandwiches.
Flowers
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In a study appearing in the journal Science a
research team reports that plants in southern
England are flowering earlier in the spring.
Records of the first flowering dates for 385
species over a period of 47 years indicate that
flowering has advanced an average of 15 days
per decade, and indication of climate warming
according to the authors.
Fitness
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Are physically fit people less likely to die of
cancer? An article in the May 2002 issue of
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
reported results of a study that followed 25,892
men aged 30 to 87 for 10 years. The most
physically fit men had a 55% lower risk of
death from cancer than the least fit group.
Schools
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The State Education Department requires local
school districts to keep these records on all
studies: age, race or ethnicity, days absent,
current grade level, standardized test scores in
reading and mathematics, and any disabilities
or special educational needs the student may
have.
Cars
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A survey of autos
parked in student and
staff lots at a large
university recorded the
make, country of origin,
type of vehicle (car, van
SUV, etc.), and age.
Age and Party
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The Gallup Poll conducted a representative
telephone survey of 1180 American voters
during the first quarter of 1999. Among the
reported results were the voter’s region
(Northeast, South, etc.) age, part affiliation,
and whether or not the person had voted in the
1998 midterm Congressional election.
Air Travel
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
monitors airlines for safety and customer
service. For each flight the carrier must report
the type of aircraft, number of passengers,
whether or not the flights departed and arrived
on schedule, and any mechanical problems.
Materials needed for class
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TI-83 or TI-84
Paper (Notebook or
Binder Style)
Pencil AND Pen
Note Cards
Book
Good attitude
Assignment
In the News
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Find a newspaper or magazine article in which
some data are reported. For the data discussed
in the article identify the W’s, name the
variables, classify each variable as categorical
or quantitative and identify the units. Include
a copy of the article with your report.
Graph Exploration
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Find five or more different graphs and identify
the type you think it is.