Data Analysis Summary

Friday, July 13

Marie asked for input on website addresses. Everyone has been so busy, they promised to get back to me.

Nancy gave an update on the Program Committee. Next week, most of the 4:30-5:30 slots have been filled.

Monday: Sketchpad-2 levels
Tuesday: Grant Writing
Thursday: Rugby and Conics

The evening 7:00-9:00 slots will be:

Monday: Finish up activities from this week
Thursday: Sketchpad (continuation, practice, etc.)

The end of the second week will be the time when we have our international visitors. On Friday night they will attend the pizza party, and on Sunday evening there will be a formal tea. They have other agenda items, but would like to meet and talk with us whenever it is possible. On Monday night there is a planned dinner before they leave.

During the third week, the 4:30-5:30 slots will be filled with presentations from the working groups.

Monday: Lesson Study
Tuesday: Physics/Data Analysis
Thursday: Geometry/Internet

The 1:00-3:00 slot on Friday will consist of our regular working groups for the first hour and final presentations from Cool Math and Number Theory/Algebra for the final hour.

We then brainstormed activities with Bill Finzer. We were to think of our favorite lessons and generate a list from there.

Favorite Math Lessons
  • Handshake problem type problems.
  • Toss the coin and accumulate totals and watch proportions.
  • Capture/recapture to estimate population size.
  • Dice Rolling and poker. Keeping track of poker hands.
  • Spaghetti and pennies. Function for breaking.
  • Physics experiment/ have physics class come in.
  • Stella models, in flow and out flow
Ideas for activities
  • (David and Carol) Problem of the week: Take a circle and look at three points at random, what is the probability that you can draw a line such that they are in the same half plane?
  • Algebra one, slopes and reflections on y=x, inverses
  • visual interpretation of graph data; e.g. where is the mean on this histogram? Building intuition about fundamental stats concepts.
  • (Beverly and Nancy) Collecting two variable and making scatter plots; e.g. wrist circumference and forehead something.
  • Paper clips from slinky and developing hooks law.
  • Suitcase problem, as extension of scaling problem?
  • Don and Marie) Simulation of triangle inequality.
Important concepts
  • standard deviation
  • expected value
  • geometry

We then went to the lab and worked in pairs on different activities with Bill looking over our shoulders.

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