Holmes

The unit will involve your student in the process of statistical investigation.  As part of this process, we will pay special attention to the ways that data are collected.

The U.S. census attempts to gather information from every household in the United States.  However, in most studies of large populations, data are gathered from a sample, or portion, of the population.  The data from the sample are then used to make predictions of draw conclusions about the population.  This technique is often used, for example, by pollsters during elections or television companies during ‘sweeps’.

In this unit, students will explore ways to compare sets of data by examining a national magazine’s study about quality of many brands of peanut butter.  Don’t be surprised if your child comes home with some new recommendations for new kinds of peanut butter to try!

Here are some strategies for helping your student during this unit:

• Talk with your student about the situations presented in the unit.
• Using newspapers, magazines, television, or radio, help your child identify situations in which statistics are being used, paying particular attention to who or what was sampled.
• Talk about whether data from a particular study can be used to make accurate predictions about a larger population.
• Review your student’s notebook and ask for explanations of the work (ask to see Agenda Book).  Refer to the class website sholmes.shschools.net with any questions about homework.
• Encourage your child’s efforts in completing homework assignments.