Announcements: Fall 2020
Submit Lesson Plans and Articles to Statistics Teacher
Consider submitting 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
Grants, Awards, and Scholarships from the Mathematics Education Trust
Deadlines in May of 2021
The Mathematics Education Trust (MET) provides grants, awards, and scholarships for NCTM members.
Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
Deadline is March 1, 2021
This year’s Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching will honor mathematics and science (including computer science) teachers.
Modeling Contest and Data Insights Award
Registration deadline is February 4, 2021
COMAP’s Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM) is an international competition for high-school and undergraduate students. The ASA provides the Data Insights Award for the MCM data insights problem C.
ThisIsStatistics
Deadlines in the spring and fall
ThisIsStatistics hosts data competitions in the spring and fall. To receive competition notifications, sign up for the newsletter on the bottom of the page.
Virtual Science Fair
Deadline is April 2021
The Virtual Science Fair allows grade K–12 students to investigate an interesting topic and submit a short video highlighting their process and results. Bonus: Celebrate Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month at the same time!
ASA Data Visualization Poster Competition
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. The deadline is April 1, 2021, and submissions will be digital again this year.
ASA Statistics Project Competition
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. The projects are due June 1, 2021.
Resources and Opportunities
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. New York Times graphs of different types and context act as a springboard for middle- and high-school students in any course (college also welcome) to think critically about graphs. On most Wednesdays from September to April, graphs are released. Students respond to three questions: What do you notice? What do you wonder? What’s going on in this graph? Teachers moderate their responses online from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. ET. On Friday, the original article, additional questions, and “stat nuggets”—definitions of statistical terms and where they are seen in the graph—are revealed. No statistics background is necessary. This is free and open to those around the world.
In addition, several New York Times Learning Network Lessons of the Day written by What’s Going On in This Graph? moderators have been published, including two on COVID-19 statistics: ‘Air Travel Surges 123%’: A Lesson About Misleading Statistics and Lesson of the Day: Dangerous Denominators.
Focus on Statistics: Two Free Investigation Downloads
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. Investigation 5: How Many Calories? and Investigation 12: Chances of Getting the Flu? are available for free download. Purchase the entire book on Amazon.
People Count
People Count! (And Their Data Stories) is a free collection of 16 lessons in which students develop, analyze, and redesign population projection models using past and present population totals by age groups to estimate future population estimates of various countries.
Skew The Script Lesson Materials
For lesson materials on socially relevant statistics, see Skew The Script. Launched this summer, the site provides teachers/students with free lessons that explore the data behind socially relevant issues. The flexible materials—including videos, Desmos activities, handouts, and slide decks—fit well with in-person, blended, and fully remote learning environments.
Bridging the Gap Lessons
Bridging the Gap Between Common Core State Standards and Teaching Statistics includes 20 data analysis and probability investigations for teachers to use in their K–8 classrooms. All lessons are available for free download.
MSSS Lessons
The Making Sense of Statistical Studies (MSSS) student module consists of 15 hands-on investigations that help students design and analyze statistical studies. It is written for an upper-middle-school or high-school audience having some background in exploratory data analysis and basic probability. All lessons are available for free download.
STEW Lessons
STatistics Education Web (STEW) is a free, online resource for peer-reviewed statistics lesson plans.
Census at School
The ASA’s Census at School program is a free international classroom project that engages students in grades 4–12 in statistical problem solving using their own real data. The students complete an online survey, analyze their class census results, and compare their class with random samples of students in the United States and other participating countries. There are free lessons using Census at School data posted under Resources. We encourage new lesson plan submissions using the STEW format.
Statistics for Science Fair Projects
Statistics for Science Fair Projects is a ThisIsStatistics resource to help students apply statistics to their science fair projects.
ASA Digital Classroom Community
As an immediate measure to connect educators who find themselves suddenly teaching online, the ASA created a new community forum focused on sharing resources for the digital classroom.
ASA Memberships for Teachers
Free one-year trial membership for K–12 teachers and two-year college faculty.
Stats+Stories Podcast
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.
Digital Resources from ThisIsStatistics
ThisIsStatistics, the ASA’s public education campaign, has posted a new video, “How Statisticians Are Fighting to Cure Cancer” and is adding to its list of statisticians’ profiles. They also added a listing of teacher resources for the digital classroom during COVID-19 social distancing.
Sports Analytics Club Program
Connect your students’ statistics skills to their passion for sports with the Sports Analytics Club Program. This organization provides free data science coursework among other resources. Find your local club and get your students excited about sports analytics!
