Newsgroups: bit.listserv.edstat-l
Date:         Tue, 29 Sep 1992 16:36:40 CST
Reply-To:     JOE WARD <1MCJHW@UTSAVM1.BITNET>
From:         JOE WARD <1MCJHW@UTSAVM1.BITNET>
Subject:      Quantitative Literacy (QL) Related Materials

   Several people have expressed interest in K-12 QL materials.
As a recent member of the ASA/NCTM Joint Committee on the Curriculum in
 Statistics and Probability (and still active in other ways!!), I am still
 actively involved in K-12 QL-related activities!.  Some of you may not be
 acquainted with the materials I have listed below.  (PS-I have NO  financial
 interest in the Dale Seymour Publications!!)
======================================================================== 26

Does anyone know anything about teaching concepts of probability and
statistics to elementary school kids (6-12 year olds)? Is it possible?
Or, to put it another way, would I be crazy to volunteer myself as a
resource person at my daughter's school? Would it be more effective with
high school kids?

- Andy Taylor
  Department of Zoology
  University of Hawaii at Manoa

  taylor@lala.zoo.hawaii.edu
  ataylor@uhunix.bitnet
======================================================================== 28
From:         "Peter A. Lachenbruch" <IARSPAL@UCLAMVS.BITNET>
Subject:      teaching statistics at the elementary level

1.  The Quantitative Literacy Program of ASA (American STATISTICAL Association)
  has some outstanding material - Check with the national office. There are som
e rich resources available through Dale Seymour, Publishers (in Palo Alto, I
think) which are absolutely terrific!
2.  You might also contact Richard L. Schaeffer at Florida State who has been
very active in this area.
3.  The ISI, International Statistical Institute has just started a group on
Statistical Education.
4. The journal, TEACHING STATISTICS, is published 3 times a year and is devoted
 to teaching to 9 to 19 year olds, but most of the material is useful for
students in colleges and universities - I've used some of the material for
graduate courses.  Peter Holmes will probably answer you on this network -he's
the editor.

Hope this helps, Andy
=============================================================================
>In response to Andy's question Marie writes:


From:         Marie Coffin <mcoffin@IASTATE.EDU>
Subject:      Re: quantitative literacy for elementary school kids?


Yes, it is possible, and no, you would not be crazy to volunteer.
I did this last year at a local grade school.  I was tutoring a gifted
fifth-grader, but he had no advanced math (i.e. nothing beyond fractions
and decimals).  We covered the basics of probability, took samples, made
graphs, etc.  It was a lot of fun for both of us.

I can send you more details via e-mail, if you like.

Marie Coffin


=================================================

MATERIALS RELATED TO STATISTICS AND PROBABILITY FOR GRADES K-12

The following materials should be of interest for anyone working
in statistics education for grades K-12.  For a free sampler and
more details of ordering these materials call toll free:

DALE SEYMOUR PUBLICATIONS
P.O. BOX 10888
PALO,ALTO CA 94303
Outside California 800-USA-1100
Inside California  800-ABC-0766

The Quantitative Literacy Series was developed by the
Joint Committee of the American Statistical Association-National
Council of Teachers of Mathematics on the Curriculum in Statistics
and Probability.  These volumes were designed for middle school and
above.  The four volumes in that series are:

 Exploring Data
       by Landwehr and Watkins
 Exploring Probability
       by Newman, Obremski and Scheaffer
 The Art and Techniques of Simulation
       by Gnanadesikan, Scheaffer and Swift
 Exploring Surveys and Information from Samples
       by Landwehr, Swift and Watkins

There are both teacher's and student editions for each volume.  The
best bargain is for a hardbound version containing all 4 vols for
$19.95.

Also, available from Dale Seymour Publications are 6 volumes
designed for elementary schools.  The series is called USED NUMBERS
These volumes were developed under a different program from the
ASA/NCTM joint committee, but are in the same spirit of the 4-vol
QL series.

The 6 volumes are:

Counting: Ourselves and Our Families -- (Grades K-1)
Sorting: Groups and Graphs --(Grades 2-3)
Measuring: From Paces to Feet --(Grades 3-4)
Statistics: The Shape of the Data --(Grades 4-6)
Statistics: Prediction and Sampling --(Grades 5-6)
Statistics: Middles, Means, and In-Betweens --(Grades 5-6)

Also, under development is a volume titled PROBLEM SOLVING THROUGH
DATA ANALYSIS which has been developed and used in PREP (Pre-
freshman Engineering Program) at the University of Texas at San
Antonio.  The target students for this three-summer program  are
students who have completed the 6th grade and above. This material,
designed for use in the 3rd year program which features Statistics
and Probability, Technical Writing, and Problem Solving Through
Data Analysis, uses a regression/prediction model approach to
research and employs the BUSINESS MYSTAT program to analyze the
problems. For more information about this material contact--

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JOE WARD               .------.
167 EAST ARROWHEAD DR. |      |
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