Statistics

Ever wonder how pollsters predict election outcomes or how scientists draw conclusions from experiments? Curious about how to decipher the patterns in financial markets or understand the trends in social behavior? In this course, students will demystify the world of statistics allowing them to interpret data to draw conclusions and use those conclusions in decision-making.

This course is designed to provide students with an introductory understanding of descriptive statistics and probability theory. Students will explore topics that include one-variable data, two-variable data, data collection, normal distributions, and an introduction to probability theory. There is a strong emphasis on real-world applications of statistics in which students will examine how data analysis and the likelihood of events can influence the decisions they make in their everyday lives.

This semester-long statistics course will engage students through hands-on, student-centered activities that include experiments, simulations, videos, discussions, and group activities. Students will complete a multi-week project that has them collect data, analyze the data, and draw conclusions.

In this standard-level course, students are expected to invest approximately 6 hours per week on their coursework.

Acknowledgements

Algebra 2

This course contains an end-of-course proctored exam. Instructions for students to identify an appropriate adult proctor are included in the course lessons.

Course Objectives

Course Essential Questions:

How can we organize and analyze data to reveal trends and patterns?
How can we avoid the ethical dilemmas of data collection?
How can we quantify and explain the uncertainty?
How can we use statistics to make informed decisions?

Course Learning Objectives:

Summarize data graphically and numerically.
Apply proper sampling methods to best analyze a population.
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of different sampling methods.
Apply basic concepts of chance.
Interpret probabilities of real-life phenomena.
Interpret data to make predictions and decisions.

Additional Requirements

Students should have access to a TI-83+ or TI-84+ graphing calculator.