[Unit Overview] Statistics in Brief

I only had a short amount of time left to study Statistics in Algebra 1, but I wanted to do what I could.  Here is what we focused on.

I can describe the correlation of bivariate data.

This is probably not where I should have started, but since I had seen this post by Mrs. Hester (which led by to this post by Sarah) it was what was on my mind at the end of a long week.  So it is what I ended up starting with.

I always break down what "bivariate data" means for students.  Then I gave them this document to cut up and sort based on the definitions.  Then we discussed and glued it in.

Next day I gave students these scenarios to label with the correlation they would expect to see.  I tried to frame it for them like this:  "If _________ increases, I would expect __________ to increase/decrease"  We always start by thinking of one as increasing, because that is how the definitions start.  We sorted these and glued them in after discussing.

I can graph bivariate data.

This should have been first...not sure why I didn't think of it at the time, but it is what it is...

Big starting point here is to define a scatter plot.

Then we did this investigation on height vs. armspan.  I've done it twice now, and I like it, but I would like other ideas for bivariate data I can collect immediately from students.  Anyone have good ideas?

I then gave handouts for using the calculator to create the graph.  I found one for TI-84 here and one for TI-nspire here.

I can find the line of best fit for bivariate data.

We just used the calculator to calculate linear regression.  I showed them how and then asked them to write down steps for themselves in their notes.

To sum up the unit I had students complete a project.  Basically they had to decide what to collect data on, collect the data, create a scatter plot, and find the line of best fit.  Here is my file if you would like it.

That is a brief overview of my brief statistics unit.  Hopefully I will expand (a lot) on it next year.

-Kathryn

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