Lesson 1: 4.1 Introduction to Data Collection
Duration of Days: 2
Lesson Objective
Students will be able to distinguish between an observational study and an experiment and identify the population and sample in a statistical study.
1. Why can’t we just ask everyone in the world their opinion?
2. What is the fundamental difference between just "watching" what happens and "making" something happen?
Population
Sample
Census
Observational Study
Experiment
HSS-IC.A.1: Understand statistics as a process for making inferences about population parameters based on a random sample from that population.
The SAT often tests the "scope of inference." Students must identify whether a conclusion can be applied to a whole population or only to the individuals in the study.
This section sets the stage. It defines the "who" (population vs. sample) and the "how" (observational vs. experimental).
The Problem: A researcher wants to know if eating blueberries improves memory in elderly adults. She tracks 500 people who already eat blueberries and compares their memory scores to 500 people who don't.
Task: Is this an observational study or an experiment? Explain.
Sample = Population: Students often use the terms interchangeably.
Support: Use a "Circle Diagram" where the large outer circle is the Population and a small dot inside is the Sample.
Teacher assigns examples from the textbook and other resources.
Access E-Book through Classlink