Statistics 200 Honors
Elementary Statistics
Fall 1999

Syllabus

General Information - Assignments - Syllabus - Overheads - Computer Labs
Week
1		 Topics
Covered		 Populations and samples; simple random samples; histograms; central limit theorem; simple confidence intervals; normal distributions
Readings from
Moore and McCabe
  • Part of sect. 1.1 on histograms
  • Sect. 3.4: "Toward Statistical Inference"
  • Sect. 1.3: "The Normal Distributions"
Classroom
Activities		 Simulate histogram of means for n dice rolls in real time; Same for proportion of coin flip heads; generate approximate confidence interval for proportion observed for classroom sample (and discuss bias of this sample); view short video clip of Steven Jay Gould discussing normality of baseball averages; work occasional short example problems.
Computer lab
activities		 None; Minitab license had expired
Week
2		 Topics
Covered		 Binomial distribution; sample proportion distribution; normal approximation to both; distribution of sample mean; central limit theorem; language of hypothesis testing
Readings from
Moore and McCabe
  • Sect. 5.1: "Sampling distributions for Counts and Proportions"
  • Sect. 5.2: "The Sampling Distribution of a Sample Mean"
  • Sect. 6.1: "Estimating with Confidence"
Classroom
Activities		 Discuss amusing examples of statistical errors in the media; Look at London birth data compiled by Dr. John Arbuthnott in performing the first statistical test in the literature; work occasional short example problems.
Computer lab
activities		 Use Minitab to do the following:
Simulate binomial samples; create histograms and boxplots; produce cross tabulation tables; obtain standard normal distribution function
Week
3		 Topics
Covered		 Hypthesis testing; chi square tests for two-way tables; empirical p-values
Readings from
Moore and McCabe
  • Sect. 6.2: "Tests of Significance"
  • Sect. 9.1: "Inference for Two-Way Tables"
  • Part of sect. 9.2 on models for two-way tables
Classroom
Activities		 Estimate p-values for cross-tab tables using computer to simulate many realizations of tables from the null distribution and comparing the observed chi-square value with the empirical distribution; work occasional short example problems.
Computer lab
activities		 Use Minitab to complete homework assignment:
Produce cross-tab table on two variables of interest; interpret chi-square test results.
Week
4		 Topics
Covered		 Sample standard deviation; inference for proportions
Readings from
Moore and McCabe
  • Part of sect. 1.2 on standard deviation
  • Sect. 8.1: "Inference for a single proportion"
  • Sect. 8.2: "Comparing two proportions"
Classroom
Activities		 View short video clip on Bureau of Labor Statistics and estimating unemployment proportion; bring M&Ms to class and estimate the proportion of blue ones; view short video clip on election of 1936 and bias in sampling; work occasional short example problems.
Computer lab
activities		 Use Minitab to complete homework assignment:
Compare 2 proportions using both a z test and a chi-square test; compare results and interpret.
Week
5		 Topics
Covered		 t distribution; t confidence intervals and tests; robustness
Readings from
Moore and McCabe
  • Sect. 7.1: "Inference for the Mean of a Population"
  • Sect. 7.2: "Comparing Two Means"
Classroom
Activities		 Begin working sample exam questions in class.
Computer lab
activities		 None; Informal review/ problem session instead.
Week
6		 Topics
Covered		 Assessing normality using plots; warnings about misuse of hypothesis tests; review of topics covered.
Readings from
Moore and McCabe
  • part of sect. 1.3 on normal quantile plots
  • part of sect. 7.1 on sign tests
  • Sect. 6.3: "Use and Abuse of Tests"
Classroom
Activities		 Demonstrate generation of normal quantile plots.
Computer lab
activities		 None; test instead.
Week
7		 Topics
Covered		 Probability: Random variables, expectation, conditional probability and Bayes' rule, independence.
Readings from
Moore and McCabe
  • Sect. 4.3: "Random variables"
  • Part of sect. 4.4 on means of random variables.
  • Sect. 4.5: "General probability rules"
Classroom
Activities		 Psychology studies of Tversky and Kahneman; birthday problem; Monty Hall problem.
Computer lab
activities		 None.

dhunter@stat.psu.edu
Last modified: October 8, 1999