Download AP Statistics Syllabus-

AP Statistics Syllabus
Instructor: Francene Gleason
School: Tahanto Regional Middle/High School
Textbook: Bock, David E., Paul F. Velleman and Richard D. DeVeaux. Stats: Modeling the
World. 3rd edition; Boston: Pearson/Addison-Wesley, 2010.
Course Philosophy:



Students will be able to draw connections between all aspects of the statistical process,
including design, analysis and application.
Students will communicate convincing arguments of methods, results and interpretations
using appropriate statistical vocabulary.
Students will be able to use graphing calculators or computers to explore and analyze
data, assess models, and perform simulations.
Course Overview:
AP Statistics is a year-long introductory statistics course designed for students who have
successfully completed Algebra II-Honors. The goal of this AP course is to introduce students to
the major concepts and tools for collecting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data. This
course will cover four themes: Exploring data, sampling and experimentation, anticipating
patterns, and statistical inference.
Upon completion of this course students will look at the world differently because they
will be able to construct an analysis of statistical data based on clear, critical thinking. In AP
Statistics, students are encouraged and expected to justify their answers and develop the ability
to verbalize the statistical process. Students will be expected to write in complete sentences with
correct grammar and punctuation.
AP Statistics can be taken alone or in conjunction with another math course. Students
have the opportunity to take the AP Statistics Exam on Thursday May 11th. More than 80% of
all college students take Statistics as a requirement of their major field of study. By passing the
A.P. test in May you may be able to waive that requirement and obtain math credits, elective
credits, or credit toward a quantitative literacy requirement. Each college has its own policy
regarding credit for AP Exam results. Check a college’s Internet site or call their
mathematics/statistics department for details of these policies.
As with any AP class, if this class is worthy of college credit, then students should
expect to put in “college-level” effort. This means completing class assignments but also
reviewing and practicing apart from class assignments. Sources indicate that successful
students might put in 1-2 outside hours per class-hour or more for college-level classes. One
source suggested 8-12 hours per course per week outside of class. Hopefully, students can be
productive with their class time, but they should plan to approach assignments thoughtfully and
to spend time studying before tests.
I expect all my students to pass the AP Exam.
Class Expectations:
 This is an AP course which means that it will be treated as a college course;
therefore, the quality of the work and the study habits for this course should be
reflective of a college course.
 Cell phones: Any cell phone that is seen or heard in the classroom without teacher
permission WILL BE confiscated and given to the appropriate school administrator.
THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS!

Methods of Evaluation:
 CUMULATIVE TESTS will be given a week before midterms and a
week before the AP exam. These exams are meant to help prepare you
for the AP Exam given in May. There will be cumulative tests every
quarter as well.
 Chapter Tests (both in class and take-home)
 Quizzes (both announced and unannounced)
 Projects (individual and group)
 AP Problem Sets
 Problems of the Week
 Homework—You will be REQUIRED to keep all of your homework in
the “Homework” section of your binder and it WILL be checked
intermittently for completion.
 Classroom Participation
Grading Policy:
Your grade for each marking period will be based on a total point system. You will receive points for
your performance on all of the above methods of evaluation.
There are NO extra credit assignments available, just regular credit assignments. In other words, do the
work you are required to do, study, and ask for help when you do not understand something and you will
be successful.
Every effort is made to be thorough, fair, and consistent in grading. Borderline grades will be determined
on the basis of a number of factors, such as effort put forth in the course, amount of self-responsible
behavior exhibited, amount of class participation, etc. I will have some flexibility in deciding on such
grades. If you think that something has been overlooked, you should discuss it with me.
Course Requirements: (These ARE requirements…NOT SUGGESTIONS)
Materials: Two 1.5- inch binders (one for each semester), multiple dividers to section the binders,
reinforced white-lined paper, a TI-84 Graphing Calculator, lots of pencils, Barron’s AP Statistics Test
Prep book (the latest one available), colored pencils, highlighters, a graph paper notebook.
Attendance: Regular attendance is essential to your success in this course. A tremendous amount of
material can be missed if absent even for one day. Regularly missing class will be detrimental to your
understanding of calculus and you will not be successful. The helpful discussions and presentations that
take place during the class period are difficult, if not impossible, to repeat on an individual basis. When
you are absent, you are responsible for all work missed and it must be made up in accordance with the
school policy outlined in the student handbook. It is your responsibility to ask for missed assignments
and to make up quizzes and tests in a timely manner. Failure to do so will result in a zero for that
assignment.
RULES FOR MISSED ASSIGNMENTS DUE TO EXCUSED ABSENCE OR SCHOOL
SPONSORED EVENT:
 You are responsible for asking and receiving any and all assignments and if possible notes from
EVERY day that you missed on your first day back to my class. This should take place before
school.
 Any assignments or projects due while you were absent are due the day you return.
 Depending on the length of your absence you have a maximum of 2 days for every day absent
(per school policy) to turn in all missing work.
 If you return the day of a text and/or quiz and the only day you missed was the review you WILL
be REQUIRED to take the test/quiz that day in class.
 All other quizzes and/or tests must be made-up before/after school the same week it was given. I
WILL NOT REMIND YOU!!!!!!
Quizzes/Tests: Both chapter and cumulative quizzes are given regularly throughout the course.
Quizzes may be made up of multiple choice and/or free response style questions. Tests will be
given after each major topic and will contain both multiple choice and free response questions.
All tests will contain both current material as well as information from previous chapters/units.
Unit tests are designed to emulate the AP Exam.
Projects: Throughout the year, students will be required to complete and present several projects
involving topics discussed in class. Course projects are in the form of extended writing
assignments and will be assessed based on the clarity of communication in addition to the
mathematics presented. The main purpose of these course projects is for students to gain strong
experience in developing statistical studies and making sound connections and judgments
between the design and results of an experiment. Projects from the first term involve analyzing
data collected by students, using graphical techniques to compare samples drawn from different
populations, and designing experiments and observational studies. Students are expected to
choose their topics on their own and have them approved by the teacher before they proceed.
During the second term, students will use the techniques learned to conduct formal significance
tests using the studies they designed during the first term. Students are assigned a writing
assignment for each type of significance test. Students are expected to use their calculators,
spreadsheets, or other statistical software such as Fathom when conducting data analysis for
these reports.
Content:
Unit I – Exploring and Understanding Data (7 days)
Chapter 1: Statistics Starts Here
• Activity: Read an article that references some statistics or statistical study.
Chapter 2: Data
• Types of data
• Create Data Lists in the TI-84+
• Activity: In-class survey analysis
Chapter 3: Displaying and Describing Categorical Data
• Frequency Tables
• Pie Charts
• Bar Charts
• Contingency Tables
Chapter 4: Displaying Quantitative Data
• Histograms
• Stem plots
• Dot plots
• Shape, Center, and Spread
• Time plots
• Cumulative Frequency Graphs
• Re-expressing Skewed Data
• Using the TI-84+
• Activity: Weighing Pennies
Chapter 5: Describing Distributions Numerically
• Describing Spread: Range, Interquartile Range, Standard Deviation
• Boxplots
• Outliers
• Using the TI-84+
• Project: Nielsen Ratings (Described above)
Chapter 6: The Standard Deviation as a Ruler and the Normal Model
• Standardized Scores
• The 68-95-99.7 Rule
• Percentiles and quartiles
• Normal Probability Plots
• Using TI-84+
***Unit I – Test***
Unit II – Exploring Relationships Between Variables (8 days)
Chapter 7: Scatterplots, Association, and Correlation
• Making and Describing Scatterplots
• The Correlation Coefficient
• Properties of the Correlation Coefficient
• Straightening Scatterplots
• Using the TI-84+
Chapter 8: Linear Regression
• The Linear Model
• Residuals
• Least Squares Regression Line
• Regression to the Mean
• Coefficient of Determination
• Using the TI-84+
Chapter 9: Regression Wisdom
• Looking for Groups in Data
• Extrapolating
• Lurking Variables and Causation
• Activity: BVD Wandering Point Worksheet (from Instructors Resource Guide)
Chapter 10: Re-Expressing Data: Get It Straight!
• Straightening Relationships
• Goals of Re-expression
• The Ladder of Powers
• Using the TI-84+
***Unit II Test***
Unit III – Gathering Data (6 days)
Chapter 11: Understanding Randomness
• Random Behavior
• Simulations
• Estimating Likelihood of Outcomes Using Simulations
• Using the TI-84+ for Simulations
• Activity: The Spread of an Epidemic, Part I (From YMS, the Practice of Statistics)
Chapter 12: Sample Surveys
• Bias in Sampling
• Simple Random Samples
• Stratified Random Samples
• Cluster/Multistage Sampling
Chapter 13: Experiments and Observational Studies
• Observational Studies
• Completely Randomized Design
• Designing Experiments
• Control Groups
• Treatments
• Blocking
• Replication
• Blinding
• Confounding and Lurking Variables
• Project: Taste Test
***Unit III Test***
Unit IV – Randomness and Probability (12 days)
Chapter 14: From Randomness to Probability
• Definition of probability, outcomes, and events
• Law of Large Numbers
• Properties of Probabilities
• Independence
• Disjoint Events
Chapter 15: Probability Rules
• The Addition Rule
• The Multiplication Rule
• Tree Diagrams
• Reversing the Conditions
• Activity: Casino Lab
Chapter 16: Random Variables
• Properties of Discrete Random Variables
• Expected Value of a Discrete Random Variable
• Linear Functions and Linear Combinations of Discrete Random Variables
• Properties of Continuous Random Variables
• Using the TI-84+
• Activity: Game: Greed
• Project: Oral Presentation Required
Midterm Exam – AP Exam Format – 25 Multiple Choice and 5 Open-Ends
Chapter 17: Probability Models
• The Geometric Model
• The Binomial Model
• Using the Normal Model to Approximate the Binomial Model
• Using the TI-84+ Distribution Menu
***Unit IV Test***
Unit V – From the Data Hand to the World at Large (14 days)
Chapter 18: Sampling Distribution Models
• Sampling Distributions
• Sampling Distribution Model for Proportions
• Sampling Distribution Model for Means
• The Central Limit Theorem
• Standard Error
• Activity: Spinning Pennies
Chapter 19: Confidence Intervals for Proportions
• Properties of Point Estimates
• Logic of a Confidence Interval
• Meaning of Confidence Level
• Confidence Intervals for Population Proportions
• Checking Assumptions and Conditions
• Using the TI-84+
• Activity: Flipping Coin Simulation to Investigate Sample Size/Confidence level
Chapter 20: Testing Hypotheses about Proportions
• Forming Hypotheses
• Logic of Hypothesis Testing
• Type I and Type II Errors
• One and Two-Sided Hypothesis Tests for Population Proportions
• Test Statistics and p-values
• Checking Conditions
• Using the TI-84+
Chapter 21: More About Tests
• Interpreting p-values
• Significance Level
• Relationship between Confidence Intervals and Hypothesis Tests
• Power
• Effect Size
Chapter 22: Comparing Two Proportions
• Two-sided Hypothesis Test for Population Proportions
• Pooling
• Checking Conditions
• Using the TI-84+
***Unit V Test***
Unit VI – Learning About the World (10 days)
Chapter 23: Inferences About Means
• The t-Distribution
• Degrees of Freedom
• Assumptions and Conditions
• Finding t-values and probabilities
Chapter 24: Comparing Means
• Hypothesis Test for the difference of two means (unpaired)
• Two-sided Tests
• Confidence Interval for the difference of two means (unpaired)
• Activity: Comparing SAT Verbal and Math Scores
Chapter 25: Paired Samples and Blocks
• Matched Pairs Hypothesis Test
• Matched Pairs Confidence Interval
• Using the TI-84+
• Choosing the correct test
• Activity: Group Project from BVD Teacher Resource Guide
***Unit VI Test***
Unit VI – Learning About the World (10 days)
Chapter 26: Comparing Counts
• The Chi-Square Distribution
• Goodness of Fit test
• Checking conditions
• Assessing normality
• Homogeneity of Proportions Test
• Test of independence
• Choosing the correct test
• Using the TI-84+
• Activity: M&M’s
Chapter 27: Inferences for Regression
• Hypothesis Test for the slope of a least squares regression line
• Confidence interval for the slope of a least squares regression line
• Using computer output
• Using the TI-84+
• Activity: Models, Models, Models
***Unit VII Test***
Technology
Students are expected to have a TI-84+ graphing to use for all assignments and assessments
throughout the course. All necessary calculator/computer skills are taught in this course.
Students will be given instruction and practice with the statistical capabilities of the calculator
and shown how to interpret those results in clear written, oral and graphical forms. A TI
Emulator is used on a daily basis for demonstrations. Students are also exposed statistical
programs from Minitab, Fathom, ActivStats or web based Java Applets when applicable.
Primary Textbook
Bock, David E., Paul F. Velleman and Richard D. DeVeaux. Stats: Modeling the World. 3rd
edition; Boston: Pearson/Addison-Wesley, 2010.
Supplementary Textbooks
Yates, Daniel S. and Daren S. Starnes. The Practice of Statistics 3rd edition; New York: W.H.
Freeman and Company, 2008.
Peck, Roxy, Olsen, Chris and Devore, Jay. Introduction to Statistics and Data Anaysis. 3rd
edition; Belmont, CA. Brooks/Cole, 2010.
Carroll, Carver, Peters and Ricks. Pearson Education AP* Test Prep: Statistics (For Stats:
Modeling the World). Boston: Addison-Wesley, 2010.
Additional Classroom Materials
AP Institute Materials: Bock, St. Johnsbury VT, 2012.
The Princeton Review: Cracking the AP statistics Exam 2008-9.
Past AP Statistics free response questions.
5 Steps to a 5 AP Statistics, by Duane C. Hinders, 2012-2013 Edition.
This verifies that I have read and understand the information as it was explained in
the course overview and discussed in class.
Student Name:_______________________________________________
Student Signature:___________________________________________
Student email: ______________________________________________
This verifies that I have read and discussed the information as it was explained in
the course overview with my son or daughter.
Parent Name:________________________________________________
Parent Signature:_____________________________________________
Parent email: ________________________________________________
Parent email: ________________________________________________