Does a can of mixed nuts contain approximately 50 percent peanuts?
In Investigation 16 from Focus on Statistics: Investigations for the Integration of Statistics into Grades 9-12 Mathematics Classrooms by Sara Brown, Patrick Hopfensperger, and Henry Kranendonk, students are introduced to the concept of informal statistical inference and focus on an investigation about testing the claim that cans of mixed nuts contain approximately 50 percent peanuts.
After students have formulated their statistical question to investigate the claim, they collect data for random samples from a population proportion of 50 percent peanuts for all mixed nuts processed by the manufacturer using a technology applet. The students build their own sampling distribution of sample proportions from the data-collection process and use the information to answer the question of whether the manufacturer’s claim is supported or not by the evidence collected.
This investigation is a way to use technology to introduce students to the concept of a sampling distribution and statistical inference before introducing the p-value. This investigation is a Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) Level C activity.