Why are we studying this?

In this unit on one-variable statistics, students discuss the difference between statistical and non-statistical questions and classify that data as numerical or categorical. They represent and interpret data using graphical representations, and describe distributions using the appropriate terminology. They graphically represent data and calculate summary statistics using technology, then interpret the values in context. They learn that standard deviation is a measure of variability, and they interpret standard deviation in context. They recognize outliers, investigate their source, make decisions about excluding them from the data set, and understand how the presence of outliers impacts measures of center and measures of variability. They compare measures of center and the standard deviation and the interquartile range for different data sets. In the culminating activity, students pose and answer a statistical question by designing an experiment, collecting data, and analyzing data.