Teaching Data Analysis and Probability Chapter 6- Using Data and Simulations to Motivate Empirical Sampling Distributions

Teachers examine whether similar male birth ratios are equally likely to occur. They use an estimated probability of a male birth based on data to create simulations for a sample of births using two different sample sizes. Simulation techniques are used to create an empirical sampling distribution of the proportion of males born. Teachers consider pedagogical issues concerning use of real data as a springboard for probability lessons, the use of repeated samples in simulations to conceptualize effects of sample size, and ways in which simulations can support understanding sampling distributions and computation of theoretical probabilities using the binomial formula.