Ever heard or read a statistic that made you think, “Wait – that can’t be right, can it?” You can’t quite figure out why, but your gut tells you that something feels off.  

If you use any type of social media or read/watch the news, you’ll agree that we are inundated with statistics and data across every type of media we consume. Instead of questioning the numbers (or the source), some people incorrectly use and share data. But think back on your experience and exposure to statistics in middle and high school. What topics do you remember? How did you learn about them? Many adults can remember how to find the average (mean, median, mode) of a data set but do they remember why they learned about measures of center? What about discussions on the importance of considering the spread when determining the center? And how much of that did we have to do by hand (versus using technology as a tool)? 

IMSI wants to support you in encouraging students to take a deeper dive into data by giving them tools to create statistical models in real-time. We hope that by providing resources that teach students to be skeptical consumers of statistics in middle school, we are giving them strategies, tools, and resources that extend far beyond their adolescent and college courses. Our goal is to provide resources that allow you to give students statistical experiences that merge the Standards for Mathematical Practice with the Science and Engineering Practices.  

Every student deserves a strong foundation of statistical literacy as they discover and mold their individual identities while moving through various STEM courses. Underfunded and underrepresented districts have not been allowed access to software licenses (like Fathom) to allow for investigating and critiquing statistical claims. Through the use of CODAP, IMSI can support you with classroom materials and instructional routines to provide ALL students with opportunities to engage in data that impacts each and every one of them. From ready-to-use materials to providing students with opportunities to design meaningful explorations about their local communities, in addition to national and global impacts, we are excited to support your middle school statistics investigations.