Lesson Plan

Distinguish a population from a sample and a parameter from a statistic, using correct notation (mu and x-bar for means, p and p-hat for proportions)

Describe statistics as a four-step process for inferring an unknown population parameter from a random sample

Explain why a random sample is necessary for valid inference, and identify the bias that arises when sampling is not random

Recognize sampling variability -- that a statistic changes from sample to sample while the parameter stays fixed -- and explain why this makes inference uncertain rather than exact

State what can and cannot be concluded from a single sample

HSS.IC.A.1

HSS.IC.A.1: Understand statistics as a process for making inferences about population parameters based on a random sample from that population.