AP Statistics



This project came about at Bellevue High School. Dusty Steere and I wrote a grant to the PTSA and purchased a class set of the books. Since we had 4 AP Stat classes at the time, we rotated the books by the week to each class. So, the other weeks we did different projects with the students, taught ANOVA, Internet research etc.

The challenge is of course to keep students (mostly seniors) engaged after the exam and we decided to make most of our post-exam projects be “in-class” points. In other words, come every day, do your work and you will have very little out of class work to do. You get points each day you are here for everything you have done. THIS WORKED WELL.

Feel free to modify anything that you wish. The students read in class, sometimes had discussions, sometimes quiet reading, you can adjust the days and the methods that you like. Please share back to me if you make any changes, I am always looking for ways to make things better….better questions, methods, whatever.

I do not have the books this year because I moved to Illinois. I know there is a different process here but I hope to someday have them again.

The students really liked the book. It opened their eyes to many things…..enjoy and discover for yourself. Again, please keep in touch and let me know what you have done that you like better.

Good luck to all of your students, ROBIN

Robin Levine-Wissing

Naperville North High School

Naperville, Illinois

AP Statistics Reader and College Board Faculty Consultant

T^3 National Instructor

AP Statistics Damned Lies and Statistics

Guidelines

Over the next week you will be reading the book written by Joel Best Damned Lies and Statistics. When you complete the book, you get to write a short paper on a topic of interest to you from the book (lucky you().

Schedule of Events Put your own dateline in here

Monday—Thursday May 12-15: Read and complete book notes using class time

Friday May 16: Brainstorm and write first draft of paper

Monday May 19: Write final draft of paper in main computer lab

Tuesday May 20: Turn in completed paper and return book at the beginning of the period.

You will receive points for each of the following.

✓ 20 homework points—attending class all 5 days and using class time to read and complete the reading notes. Points will be deducted for tardiness, absences and off task behavior.

✓ 40 quiz points—completing the reading notes for each of the four days. The reading notes are due at the beginning of the next class period.

50 test points—A short paper (500-1000 words). Pick a chapter or a topic that Best examined that you found unique or interesting analyze. Add your thoughts and reflections on the topic and why it interested you or caught your attention. Add more info here on specifically what we want the students to include in the paper.

AP Statistics Damned Lies and Statistics Name__________

Reading Questions (pg. 1-29)

1. What does author Joel Best say is the “worst social statistic ever”?

2. Why do statistics have a bad reputation?

3. Describe the origins of the word “statistics”.

4. What sorts of people or groups make use of statistics and why do they use statistics?

5. Define innumeracy and explain how Joel Best attributes it to statistics going bad or bad statistics becoming “fact”.

6. What three questions should be asked whenever you encounter a new statistic—why are these questions important?

7. What is the very first way a statistic is created? Why is it that these statistics become treated like fact so quickly?

8. How does the “dark figure” play a role in defending guessed statistics?

AP Statistics Damned Lies and Statistics Name__________

Reading Questions Day 2 (pg. 41-85)

1. In addition to guessing, what are the three other sources of bad statistics?

2. Give an example of a false negative and a false positive.

3. Give an example from the text how wording bias can create responses to a similar question?

4. What are two problems with sampling that lead to bad statistics?

5. What issue did activists glom onto as evidence that hate crimes were on the rise? What common elementary error does Best identify that produced the erroneous claim?

6. Well-respected newspapers reported that 6% of Roman Catholic priests are pedophiles. Identify the common elementary error from this example and describe the mistakes that the newspapers made in creating this “mutant statistic”.

7. What two examples does Best use to illustrate the mistake of simplifying complex statistical statements into erroneous easier to understand statistics?

AP Statistics Damned Lies and Statistics Name__________

Reading Questions Day 3 (pg. 86-128)

1. Explain how bad statistics can become worse through mutation.

2. Why do advocates use deliberate manipulation of statistical information?

3. Why is comparison of numbers important when reporting statistics?

4. What two important changes reduced the “dark figure” when it came to child abuse?

5. Discuss the situation of exaggerated numbers in reference to projections that involved crack babies and the spread of AIDS.

6. What are the drawbacks to adopting broad definitions of some crimes when in comes to reporting statistics about certain crimes?

7. On p. 115-116 the situation of poor whites and blacks is discussed. How can this be related (if it can) to Simpson’s Paradox?

8. Four types of comparisons were discussed: over time, over places, within groups, social problems. Select one and discuss the pros and cons of this type of comparison.

AP Statistics Damned Lies and Statistics Name__________

Reading Questions Day 4 (pg. 128 - 171)

9. Give two reasons why Statistics thrive and survive.

10. What is “Stat Wars”? You may cite a specific example if needed.

11. Considering the “Million Man March” on Washington in 1995, comment on the way the crowd number calculations were done and could you come up with a better method, if so, what would it be?

12. Why are certain groups of people “undercounted” when it comes to the census every 10 years?

13. What are some of the political consequences of “adjusting” the census?

14. What is the point Bennett is trying to make about child poverty when referring to “cultural indicators”?

7. Explain the mind-sets of the Naïve, the Cynical, and the Critical when it comes to interpreting Statistics.

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