Determine the difference between a sample statistic and a population characteristic. Pupils learn about populations and samples in the 14th portion in a unit of 25. Individuals calculate information directly from populations called...

Work it out — find the average time clients spend at a gym. Pupils use a table of random digits to collect a sample of times fitness buffs are working out. The scholars use their random sample to calculate an estimate of the mean of the...

Sample pennies to gain an understanding of their ages. The 16th installment of a 25-part series requires groups to collect samples from a jar of pennies. Pupils compare the distribution of their samples with the distribution of the...

Emerging statisticians develop the ability to make inferences from sample data while also working on proportional relationships in general. Here, young learners examine samples for bias, and then use random samples to make...

So what exactly is a random sample? The 15th part in a series of 25 introduces the class to the idea of selecting samples. The teacher leads a discussion about the idea of convenient samples and random samples. Pupils use a random...

Determine whether there is a difference between two grades. Teams generate random samples of two grade levels of individuals. Groups use the mean absolute deviation to determine whether there is a meaningful difference between the...

Sample an excellent resource on sampling variability. Pupils analyze census data on the percentage of homes in each state that have Internet access. They take random samples of different sample sizes, determine the sample means, and then...

Using a 2002 California Gray David recall vote as an example, young statisticians  identify sources of bias in samples and find ways of reducing and eliminating sampling bias. They consider ways to select random samples from a...

The 23rd segment in a series of 25 presents random samples from two populations to determine whether there is a difference. Groups determine whether they believe there is a difference between the two populations and later use an...

Find the percent of middle schoolers who want the ability to freeze time. The 21st installment in a series of 25 has groups collect a random sample of respondents who answer a question about superpowers. Using sample statistics,...

Are the means the same or not? Groups create samples from a bag of numbers and calculate the sample means. Using the sample means as an estimate for the population mean, scholars try to determine whether the difference is real or not.

Estimate the proportion in a population using sampling. The 20th installment in a series of 25 introduces how to determine proportions of categorical data within a population. Groups take random samples from a bag of cubes to determine...

Random sampling is as easy as choosing numbers. Teams use random numbers to create a sample of book lengths from a population of 150 books. The groups continue by developing a technique to create samples to compare from two populations...

The 19th installment in a 25-part series builds upon the sampling from the previous unit and takes a larger sample. Pupils compare the dot plots of sample means using two different sample sizes to find which one has the better variability.

Here's a sweet activity! As part of a study of psychological research methods and statistic gathering, individuals develop a hypothesis about the number of each color of M&Ms in a fun-size package. They then count the number of each...

Math and science to the rescue! Some basic math concepts help scientists predict wildlife populations. Using tokens, groups simulate tagging a wildlife population. They then use proportions to estimate the population of the wildlife.

Young mathematicians define population, draw convenience sample from the population, draw quota sample from the population, and draw random probability sample from the population. They explain why a random probability sample usually...

How do we count the fish in the ocean? An engaging lesson models how to estimate fish populations with observational surveys. Class members begin by studying the behavior of fish on the coral reef in the oceans. They...

Are your parents or guardians strict? That's an interesting question many of your pupils are probably interested in discussing. How do you design a study directed at your high schooler to gain insight into that question? How do you...

It's 268 words, but one only needs to consider 10 of them at a time. A data collection and analysis activity has learners investigate the lengths of words in the Gettysburg Address. They first self-select a sample of 10 words and...

It's a small world after all. Classmates consider world population, languages, and religions in a cross-curricular lesson. Applying percentages and proportions, they determine what the class make-up would be if the class represented the...

Students experiment with pea pods to observe/appreciate the diversity of individuals within a population, and to explain of how dominant and recessive traits, genotypes, and phenotypes help produce variation in a population.

They say elephants never forget—and your class won't forget an insightful modeling activity either! Junior zoologists take part in a mock elephant census using the sample count and total count methods. The included materials provide...

What's that buzzing in your ear? An insightful lesson about genetically modified mosquitoes! Partnered pupils explore the creation, release, and monitoring of mosquitoes designed to reduce the mosquito population. After watching a video,...