Statistics play a role in all our lives. From time to time we provide data or collect data to be organized, analyzed, and used in making decisions. For example, the registrar of vital statistics records our date of birth and our date of death. Periodically we are counted in the population census taken by the federal government.
School children are always concerned about their scholastic averages.
When planning vacations we are interested in data provided by the weather bureau. We try to predict the outcome of elections by analyzing the results of political polls that have been taken. Business people conduct surveys to find out what products are most frequently sought by consumers. Sports fans compare batting averages, wins and losses of various teams. Although our list could continue indefinitely, it is sufficient to say that we encounter statistics in many facets of our lives, and all school children should be introduced to basic statistical terms and concepts.