Summative Assessment
Assess students’ ability to • create a scatter plot and a line of best fit using technology; • interpret the coefficients of the line of best fit in the context of the data; • interpret the correlation coefficient; • articulate the difference between correlation and causation.
In this unit, students build on the statistical work they did in grade 8. Using technology, they represent data on two variables on a scatter plot, find the line of best fit, and interpret the slope and intercepts in context. They assess the fit of a line to data more precisely by plotting and analyzing residuals. Students compare strength of associations between different pairs of variables by interpreting correlation coefficients which they compute using technology. They gain experience in distinguishing between correlation and causality. Modeling is an intrinsic part of the high school statistics and probability standards and of this unit.