Welcome to Statistics.

This week is statistics — the math we use to summarize data we have and to make claims about data we don't. By Sunday you'll be fluent in the five descriptive measures (mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation), comfortable with the bell-shaped normal distribution, and able to read a poll headline ("45% support, ±3%") the way a statistician would.

Topics 5 and 6 are the data half of the course. Topic 5 is descriptive plus the normal distribution; Topic 6 picks up probability and expected value. Together they give you the tools to read the news, interpret a study, or evaluate a survey without taking the headline at face value.

▸ Start Lesson 01 Topic overview

01 What You'll Learn

By the end of this week, you'll be able to:

Differentiate between types of statistics.
Apply statistics to solve problems.
Use descriptive statistics and graphs to solve application problems.
Decide if the normal distribution is an appropriate model for a given data set.
Solve problems using the properties of the normal distribution.
Interpret data from different types of graphs.
Explain how standard deviation and margin of error relate to statistical surveys.

02 The Week's Arc

Four phases, in order. Don't skip ahead — each one sets up the next.

Phase 01 · Mini lessons

6 lessons

≈ 3 hours total

L01 · What statistics is, really.
L02 · Mean, median, mode.
L03 · Range and standard deviation.
L04 · Reading data displays.
L05 · The normal distribution and the empirical rule.
L06 · Surveys and the margin of error.

Phase 02 · Discussions

2 DQs

≈ 2 hours total

DQ 1 · Compute mean, median, SD, range with built-in functions, Autofill an Improvement column (After − Before), Use PERCENTILE.INC for the 16th-84th 68% band, Apply the Empirical Rule to read a conclusion
DQ 2 · Compute Min, Max, Bin Width with built-in functions, Build a frequency table with COUNTIFS, Convert frequencies to relative frequencies (%), Insert + label a histogram with proper titles

Phase 03 · ALEKS Review

6 questions

≈ 2 hours · 35 pts

Q1 · Median of a data set
Q2 · Mode of a data set
Q3 · Mean, median, and mode: Computations
Q4 · Range of a data set
Q5 · Using the empirical rule to identify values and percentages of a normal distribution
Q6 · Understanding the mean graphically: Two bars

03 Time Commitment

Plan for the whole week. These are typical times, not maximums — go faster if it clicks, slower if you're getting stuck.

Mini lessons (6) ≈ 3 h

Discussions (2 DQs) ≈ 2 h

ALEKS review (6 questions) ≈ 2 h

Total ≈ 7 h

04 When You Get Stuck

You won't get through every lesson on the first try. Here's where to look:

Cheat sheet

Topic 5 cheat sheet →

Key formulas, common mistakes, quick reference. Printable.

Glossary

Topic 5 glossary →

Every vocab term in one study sheet, lesson by lesson.

Interactive tools

Tools & resources →

2 interactive playgrounds for hands-on practice.

Walkthroughs

Each DQ + MA component has a Scribe walkthrough.

Watch once, then build it on your own.

Ready to start?

▸ Start Lesson 01

All topics Topic 5 overview