Announcements: Spring 2022
Submit Lesson Plans, Articles, and Announcements to Statistics Teacher
Please consider submitting some of your K–12 statistics lesson plans for publication or writing and sharing an article. We also accept announcement submissions. For more information, see the ST submission guidelines or contact the ST editors.
Upcoming Deadlines
ASA Data Visualization Poster Competition
Deadline April 1, 2022
The ASA Data Visualization Poster Competition is for grade K–12 students to create a display containing two or more related graphics that summarize a set of data, look at the data from different points of view, and answer specific questions about the data. Submissions are now digital with a new judging rubric.
April Is Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month
Activities Through April 2022
Organize and host activities in April for Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month! Past activities have included workshops, competitions, festivals, lectures, symposia, department open houses, math art exhibits, and math poetry readings. Share your activities on social media and tag @AmstatNews and #MathStatMonth. The goal is to increase public understanding of and appreciation for statistics and mathematics.
Virtual Science Fair
Deadline is April 30, 2022
The Virtual Science Fair allows grade K–12 students to investigate an interesting topic and submit a short video highlighting their process and results.
Opportunity for Mathematically Talented High-School Students
Applications Due April 30, 2022
The World Science Scholars (WSS) is a highly selective program for national and international high-school students who have exceptional skills in mathematics. Scholars are guided by world-renowned experts as they expand their knowledge to help solve complex challenges in multidisciplinary fields. This unparalleled opportunity allows students to explore and apply their talents to new scientific disciplines. WSS, offered at no cost to accepted scholars, is a program of the World Science Festival. Download the overview.
Grants, Awards, and Scholarships from the Mathematics Education Trust
Deadline May 1, 2022
Did you know NCTM members have access to more than $150,000 in grants, scholarships, and other awards through the Mathematics Education Trust (MET)? The newest opportunity, Opening Gates for Prospective Teachers Grant, is also available to fund NCTM student memberships for prospective teachers of mathematics at all levels, PK–12. Check out the full range of grants opportunities and apply today for the summer cycle of MET Grants.
STEM Stars Actuarial Scholars Program
Deadline May 16, 2022
Do you know students who are interested in exploring a career as an actuary? The new STEM Stars Actuarial Scholars Program from The Actuarial Foundation provides more than just $20,000 in college scholarships ($5,000 annually for four years). It also offers students the following:
- Mentoring by practicing actuaries and professionals
- Summer internships and/or work-study opportunities
- Academic support in mathematics
- Recognition as a member of a STEM Stars cohort
- Participation in a free week-long Summer Intensive Workshop
Visit stemstarscholars.org to learn more!
ASA Statistics Project Competition
Deadline June 1, 2022
The ASA Statistics Project Competition (written report) is for grade 7–12 students to answer a research question using statistical techniques and present the work in a written report.
Meeting Within a Meeting (MWM) Statistics Workshop for Middle- and High-School Mathematics and Science Teachers
Online, Summer 2022
This workshop is meant to strengthen K–12 mathematics and science teachers’ understanding of statistics and provide them with hands-on activities aligned with standards they can use in their own classrooms. Get details as they become available.
Beyond AP Statistics (BAPS) Workshop
Online, Summer 2022
The BAPS workshop is offered for experienced AP Statistics teachers and consists of enrichment material just beyond the basic AP syllabus. Recordings of the Summer 2020 BAPS workshop are available online. Get details as they become available.
Upcoming Conferences
Electronic Conference on Teaching Statistics (eCOTS)
May 23–26, 2022, Online
Meeting Within a Meeting (MWM) Statistics Workshop for Middle- and High-School Mathematics and Science Teachers
Summer 2022, Online
Beyond AP Statistics (BAPS) Workshop
Summer 2022, Online
Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM)
August 6–11, 2022, Washington, DC
International Conference on Teaching Statistics (ICOTS)
September 11–16, 2022, Rosario, Argentina
NCSM Annual Conference
September 26–28, 2022, Anaheim, California
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Annual Meeting and Exposition
September 28–October 1, 2022, Los Angeles, California
American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) Annual Conference
November 17–20, 2022, Toronto, Canada; Virtual Days: December 2–3, 2022
NCTM Regional Conference
November 30–December 2, 2022, Baltimore, Maryland
Resources and Opportunities
New Book, Statistics and Data Science for Teachers, Available for Free Download
A goal of Statistics and Data Science for Teachers is to provide teacher educators with a resource to guide courses and professional development when preparing teachers of all grade levels to teach the foundations of statistics and data science in their classrooms. In supporting the spirit of Pre-K–12 Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education II (GAISE II): A Framework for Statistics and Data Science Education, this book presents statistical ideas through investigations and engagement with the statistical problem-solving process of formulating statistical investigative questions, collecting/considering data, analyzing data, and interpreting results. Download a low-resolution version or high-resolution version for free. Printed copies can be purchased via Amazon.
Focus on Statistics: Now Available for Free Download
Focus on Statistics: Investigations for the Integration of Statistics into Grades 9–12 Mathematics Classrooms consists of 19 investigations to help classroom teachers implement key statistical concepts in their classrooms. Each investigation has an overview, learning goals, mathematical practice through a statistical lens, materials, instructional plans, and ideas for extensions. Download for free or purchase on Amazon.
GAISE II Available
The Pre-K–12 Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education II (GAISE II): A Framework for Statistics and Data Science Education is available for free download. It can also be purchased via Amazon for $15.
NCTM Supports Statistics Education with Valuable Knowledge and Resources
To elevate the standards of mathematics education offered around the world, NCTM provides the math community with education resources, professional development opportunities, and more. Their journal Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK–12 (MTLT) features various mathematical topics, including statistics. In one such article, the authors take a deeper look into the Pre-K–12 Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education II (GAISE II): A Framework for Statistics and Data Science Education report.
Statistics in Schools (SIS) Kahoot! Games
Get ready to play and learn with new Statistics in Schools (SIS) Kahoot! games. The US Census Bureau has teamed with Kahoot! to bring educational games powered by census data to your classroom. Test your students’ knowledge on a variety of topics, from American history to US holidays.
- Learn About US Holidays with Census Bureau Data!
Students discover cool facts like how many US hobby, toy, and game stores there are and how many places in the US have festive-sounding names! - How Well Do You Know the US Census Bureau? (Elementary and middle/high school versions)
Which US president conducted the first census? How many surveys are conducted annually? Test students’ knowledge about the Census Bureau. - Visualizing Census Bureau Data
Pictures are great tools for understanding complex data sets. This game reveals quiz answers alongside charts, graphs, and maps to help students visualize the ‘big picture’ with Census Bureau data. - Census Challenge: How Well Do You Know US People and Places?
Students learn about the nation’s people and places, including the fastest-growing state, median household income, and population of groups such as veterans and people ages 65 and older. - From Rollercoasters to Chocolate Bars: Learn About US Businesses!
This Kahoot! teaches students fun facts about US business such as the number of amusement parks and chocolate makers. - Exploring American History with Census Bureau Data!
In this game, students discover such historic gems as when the first census took place and how our population changed from the first to the most recent census in 2020. - Keep an eye out for the following new games coming soon:
Shamrocks and Clovers: Celebrate Irish-American Heritage Month
Then and Now: A Look Back at the 1950 Census
Introducing Stats Solver
Stats Solver is a new website that provides a set of statistics calculators that give step-by-step solutions. Created by a statistics teacher with more than a decade of experience, it provides every detail (graphs, tables, etc.) you want in a solution. The simple user interface allows you to easily input a variety of statistics problems and instantly get the full answer.
Build Quantitative Literacy with Graphs
What’s Going On in This Graph? is a free weekly online feature of the ASA and New York Times Learning Network. On Wednesdays from September to May, a new graph is released. Students respond to four questions: What do you notice? What do you wonder? How does this relate to you and your community? What is a catchy headline that captures the main ideas of this graph? Teachers moderate their responses online from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. ET. By Friday, the original article, additional questions, and “stat nuggets”—definitions of statistical terms seen in the graphs and explanations for how they are used—are revealed. No statistics background is necessary for either teachers or students. Support is offered within the feature. See all graphs in this series and learn how and why other teachers are using this strategy from our on-demand webinar.
K–12 Statistics Teacher Meetups
The American Statistical Association offers free K–12 teacher meetups (via Zoom) to share resources and discuss K–12 statistics topics. Meetup topics have included the AP Statistics exam and statistics reading, assessment, applets, software resources, and lesson plans. View recordings or indicate interest in participating in future meetups. Also, suggest topics and presenters.
New Episodes of Stats + Stories Podcast Available
The ASA has partnered with the Stats + Stories group at Miami University, a collaboration between statisticians and journalists producing podcasts that give the statistics behind the stories and the stories behind the statistics. To listen, visit the Stats + Stories website or iTunes.
ThisIsStatistics
Subscribe to the ThisIsStatistics educators’ newsletter and receive updates about educator resources and student contests. Also, get a PDF download of recommended resources for the digital classroom.
ASA Memberships and Free Resources for Teachers
Sign up for a free one-year trial membership for K–12 teachers and two-year college faculty. Free resources for K–12 educators and students are available at K–12 Educators (amstat.org) and for two-year college faculty at Undergraduate Educators (amstat.org).