Bluebells and bias, stitchwort and statistics


Authors: 
du Feu, C.
Editors: 
Goodall, G.
Category: 
Volume: 
27(2)
Pages: 
34-36
Year: 
2005
Publisher: 
Teaching Statistics
Abstract: 

Infants are too young to engage in real, useful statistical work. This activity allowed comparisons between distributions of two species of flowers in three different habitats.<br>How old must children be before they can learn about statistics? I had agreed to lead a group of six-year-old around a woodland nature reserve. The prime aim of the visit was for it to be used as a stimulus for written work in connection with the Key Stage 1 writing test (England, age 6-7) where children are expected to recount sequences of events. I wished to ensure that the visit was used to give them some understanding of at least some aspects of the ecology of the wood - clearly an opportunity for statistical work. I was assured by their teacher that they could record using the 5-bar-gate tallying system. This is a basic statistical skill but is sufficient to be able to examine differences in habitat preferences between plant species.

The CAUSE Research Group is supported in part by a member initiative grant from the American Statistical Association’s Section on Statistics and Data Science Education

register