Wondering about what you just signed up for?

For those of you who just registered for AP Statistics, way to go! Now, what is it all going to be about? I just updated the school web site for the Stats class and you may want to take a look.

Chelan HS AP Statistics Page

You can see, among other things....

Past AP Shirts - we design them and then wear them to the test. It reminds us that we're a team in this together, and it makes for a fun souvenir of the year.

Project and activity sites - you can see past projects of the kind we will be doing this year. You can also see some photo archives of past classroom activities we've done.

There is more to come on the web site, but we're slowly gearing up for what will be a great year in AP Statistics. If you have any questions, or want to see some more of the kinds of projects we'll be doing, come by and see me in Room 156.

Sample Free Response Question

The AP Exam is made up of a section containing Multiple Choice (MC) questions and a section containing Free Response (FR) questions. Each section counts toward 50% of your overall grade on the exam. Below is a sample FR question from a past AP Exam (one you will complete as part of your Exam Prep next spring!)

A department supervisor is considering purchasing one of two comparable photocopy machines, A or B. Machine A costs $10,000 and machine B costs $10,500. This department replaces photocopy machines every three years. The repair contract for machine A costs $50 per month and covers an unlimited number of repairs. The repair contract for machine B costs $200 per repair. Based on past performance, the distribution of the number of repairs needed over any one-year period for machine B is shown below.

(Number of Repairs, Probability)
(0, 0.50)
(1, 0.25)
(2, 0.15)
(3, 0.10)

You are asked to give a recommendation based on overall cost as to which machine, A or B, along with its repair contract, should be purchased. What would your recommendation be? Give a statistical justification to support your recommendation.

Course Description

It's March already and that means it's time to start thinking about what you are going to take next year. If you are wondering what this AP Statistics course might be like, get a sneak peek at the 2008-09 course description. You need to have successfully completed Algebra II and have a healthy curiosity about the world around you. I'll take care of the rest. Please stop by and see me (Mr. Robinson) if you have any questions.

Advanced Placement Statistics
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Algebra II with a C or better
Grades: 10-12
Math Credit: Elective
1 Credit

AP Statistics is a course in which students learn how to collect, organize, summarize, and analyze data to gain insights into patterns and trends and to make predictions of future behavior. Curriculum for this course follows the AP Statistics curriculum set by the College Board and is designed to prepare students for the AP Statistics exam in May. This course draws connections between all aspects of the statistical process, including design, analysis, and conclusions. Using the vocabulary of statistics, this course will teach students how to communicate statistical methods, results and interpretations. Students will learn how to use graphing calculators and read computer output in an effort to enhance the development of statistical understanding. During this course, students will be exposed to four broad conceptual themes and will be expected to demonstrate proficiency in:
• Exploring Data: Describing patterns and departures from patterns
• Sampling and Experimentation: Planning and conducting a study
• Anticipating Patterns: Exploring random phenomena using probability and simulation
• Statistical Inference: Estimating population parameters and testing hypotheses.

Countdown to the 2009 AP Stats Test!!

How long is it until the May 5, 2009 AP Stats test? Find out HERE!

Stats Humor

Think Stats is funny, do you? Well, it is.

• Visit the Fathom Stats Joke Site
• Check out Gary Ramseyer's Internet Gallery of Statistics Jokes which hosts some of my favorite stats jokes of all time. It's ok if you don't get all of them at first. After you take this class, you will! Be sure to check out the R.A. Fisher Hall (Jokes 1-30), the Karl Pearson Hall (Jokes 31-60), and the John W. Tukey Hall (Jokes 61-90), and then enjoy Jokes 91-178 on this page. Just watch out for the Stat Monster!
  

To quote the great Bill Sargent, "I don't care who you are, that's funny!"

Questions Statisticians Ask

If you are curious about the kinds of questions statisticians ask, check out the list below, which comes to us from the Pomona College Economics Department. You don't have to be a genius, just curious.

Comparing Two Samples
1. Compare the prices of men's and women's T-shirts.
2. Compare the prices of men's and women's shaving cream
3. Select a grocery store chain and compare the prices at stores in two different areas of town.
4. Estimate and compare the average words per sentence in the New York Timesand in a local newspaper.
5. Use secret ballots to survey student preferences for the next president of the United States. On half of the ballots, list the likely Republican candidate first; on the other half, list the likely Democratic candidate first.
6. Go to a local cemetery and and compare the number and size of male and female tombstones.
7. Post a sign on the main entrance to a campus building requesting the use of a less convenient entrance; for example, "Please use the door on the north side of building." From an inconspicuous location, observe how many people ignore the sign and use the main entrance and how many people do not use the main entrance. Compare the behavior of students and professors or males and females. Try to pick a building and time when traffic is light, so that large numbers do not try to enter simultaneously.
8. What fraction of New York Timesobituaries are for New Yorkers? Compare this with the fraction of obituaries in another major newspaper that are for local citizens; for example, Los Angeles Times obituaries for Californians.

Using ANOVA to Compare Several Means
1. Estimate and compare the average words per sentence in People, Time, and New Republic.
2. Compare the length of New York Times obituaries with the occupations of the deceased.
3. Compare the length of the descriptions in Who's Who in Americawith the person's occupation.
4. Test whether the length of the descriptions in American Men of Science depends on the person's scientific field.

Chi-square Tests for Categorical Data
1. The nine positions on a baseball team can be divided into four categories: pitcher, catcher, the four infielders, and the three outfielders. Collect all the data you can on major league baseball managers and test the null hypothesis that, among those managers who played baseball, the probabilities of having played in these four categories are 1/9, 1/9, 4/9, and 3/9, respectively.

Simple Regression
1. Go to a local grocery store and collect these data for at least 75 breakfast cereals: cereal name; grams of sugar per serving; and the price per ounce (or gram). If the store you select does not have at least 75 breakfast cereals, then collect data from another store too. Use these data to estimate the simple regression model with price as the dependent variable and sugar as the explanatory variable.

The Mighty Acorn

Just as a mighty oak tree gets its start as a lowly acorn, AP Statistics has at its roots, a little book. This book tells the story of the course, offers sample questions, so you can see what the AP test will be like, and essentially outlines the course from start to finish.

Check it out here:

Acorn Book