When starting the first unit in AP Statistics, you want to set the tone for how the rest of the class will go. As a teacher, you are trying to find the balance between fun and relevant topics and the pacing and rigor of the AP curriculum. In this post, I want to let you know how I set up my AP Statistics classroom procedures for Unit 1, in the hopes that it will help you out too!
Remember that the rules and procedures you start the class with do not have to be set in stone – you are allowed to change how you do things if they are not working out! For example, I would give the homework assignment individually, after each lesson, collect it the next day, grade it, and then pass it back. This took SO LONG and I ended up having so much missing homework that I would have to stay on top of grading as well. It did not work out and I changed that for the next unit, into something that I still use today.
At the beginning of the unit, I give a note packet and a homework packet. I post my video lessons in Google Classroom (as a Google Sheet with the YouTube links in them) and the answer keys to the homework assignments in Google Classroom as well (as a single “Materials” assignment and then I put all the answer keys in that one location).
Read on to see why this has become the most successful way to start my class! If you are interested in THREE FREE Unit 1 documents, jump to the bottom.
Guided Notes and Homework
I have SIX sets of guided notes in Unit 1 that I go through. After each set of notes, I assign the homework problem set that goes with the lesson.
I teach the guided notes in class, going through the problems and information, having students fill in the blanks, and then ask questions as they come up. Most of the notes take a full 50-minute class period, but sometimes I have to use two class periods for a set of notes (especially if we get to talking off topic, which they love to do!). If I ever fall too far behind in my pacing, I will assign a section of video notes for them to complete at home. The videos are also great in case a student is absent and needs to catch up on the material.
I tell the students that I expect the homework assignment to be completed a day or two after we finish that set of notes. I do not collect the homework packet until the day of the test, and then I grade it for completion. Because this is an AP class, I have the students check their homework through Google Classroom themselves and tell them to come to me with questions. I find that putting the responsibility on them helps free up my time and really lets them advocate for their own learning.
Activities
The unit plans come full of activities and projects (and I keep adding more!). I plan on using some of these throughout the unit, but I really don’t have time for everything. I pick and choose the activities that students will need to help reinforce the skills that they need help with, and some of the activities I save for AP exam review as well. Here is what is currently included:
Greedy Train Game
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- This is an activity I use after I have gone over all the graphs and measures of center and spread. It is a good activity to tie everything together and to have fun with it.
Unit 1 Circuit
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- I have students complete this circuit in class together, to practice AP-style multiple choice questions.
Misleading Graphs Project
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- I go through the instructions with my students and then give them class time to begin working. I use this as their “Unit 1 Project”.
Are Cookies Dangerous?
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- This was an intro activity I use to do to get students thinking about ridiculous claims based on statistics. It is a fun activity that you can do at the beginning of the unit if you would like, and it works best in groups.
Exploring Chocolate Candies Activity
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- This is a great activity to do after Notes 1, if you have time. It lets students get a little more hands-on with gathering data.
Unit 1 Normal Distribution Circuit
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- I like to do this after Notes 6 if it seems like my students are struggling with the Normal distribution calculations. Some years they need extra exposure to the problems and some years they don’t! You can also save this for AP exam review too.
Z-Score Matching Activity
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- This is another activity you can incorporate if your students need more practice on the standard normal curve. I’ve used this activity when I had a substitute teacher shortly after introducing the standard normal curve, and I have also used it as an AP Exam review at the end of the year. It works great as an individual activity or as a group activity.
What is Normal?
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- Students are able to explore and discover the Empirical Rule before it is formally introduced. I gathered the data on my own, but an interesting extension is to have students create a Google Form and gather the data themselves, then see the normal distributions created.
The Unit 1 Test
I’m going to be honest here: most of my students do not finish my Unit 1 test in a 50-minute class period. It is their first big test in AP Statistics, and it is a long one (20 multiple choice questions and 2 free response questions), so they hardly ever finish. Here are some suggestions about what you can do with the longer test:
✔ Train your students; when they come in on test day, as soon as the bell rings, you are handing out the test so they have the full time to take it. No questions or homework problems when the period starts.
✔ If they don’t finish in the time allowed, and you think that they did run out of time (as opposed to not finishing because they were staring off into space) then consider having them come after school ON THAT DAY to finish.
✔ You can also consider giving the 20 multiple choice questions one day and the free response questions on the next day. This breaks up the test over two days but allows time for questions at the beginning of each class and plenty of time for students to finish.
✔ Really crunched for time? Give the multiple-choice questions in class and have the FRQs as take-home problems. You can’t always guarantee they won’t seek outside help but this early in the year, I don’t stress so much about being 100% AP ready just yet.
Don’t Stress!
I know the AP time crunch is “scary”, and if you end up getting behind or your students need more time, it can be stressful for teachers to get behind so early in the year. DO. NOT. WORRY. If your students need more time, please take it. This is the biggest unit and so much of the material is built on this. Take the time if you need it, I give you my full permission!
My goal is always to try and make it through Random Variables (Unit 4) by the end of the year. I like to try and plan to get through Sampling Distributions (Unit 5), but I have only succeeded at that one year. It is okay; give yourself some grace and don’t stress yourself out. I’m sure that is easier said than done, but work on it all the same!! How did your Unit 1 go in AP Statistics? Leave a comment below! 👇
Want some FREE stuff for your curriculum in unit 1? Check out these products below:
Exploring Chocolate Candies Activity: Bar Graphs and Dotplots
Want to check out each individual product in Unit 1? You can click on the images below to be taken to my TPT product and then you can click “Preview” to see each item!
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