Basic Productivity Tools (BPT)

Lesson Idea Name:​ Stop-and-Frisk Statistics

Content Area:​ Statistics
Grade Level(s):​ 11-12
Content Standard Addressed:
MSR.FQ.1​ Students will apply the statistical method to real-world situations.
i.​ Formulate questions to clarify the problem at hand and formulate one (or more) questions that can
be answered with data.
ii.​ Collect data by designing a plan to collect appropriate data and employ the plan to collect the data.
iii.​ Analyze data by selecting appropriate graphical and numerical methods and using these methods
to analyze the data.
iv.​ Interpret results by interpreting the analysis and relating the interpretation to the original
question.
MSR.CD.1​ Students will distinguish between a population distribution, a sample data distribution, and a
sampling distribution.
b.​ Students will create sample data distributions and a sampling distribution.
i.​ Create a sample data distribution by taking a sample from a defined population and
summarizing the data in a distribution.
ii.​ Create a sampling distribution of a statistic by taking repeated samples from a population
(either hands-on or by simulation with technology).

Technology Standard Addressed:

3c.​ Students curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods to create
collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or conclusions.
3d.​ Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and
theories and pursuing answers and solutions.

Selected Technology Tool:​ Microsoft Excel

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):

Article for pre-read:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/08/13/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-stop-a
nd-frisk-and-why-the-courts-shut-it-down/

Stop and Frisk NYPD 2019 Data

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☐​Remembering ​☐​Understanding ​☐​Applying ​☒​Analyzing ​☒​Evaluating ​☐​Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐​Level 1: Awareness ​☐​Level 2: Exploration ​☐​Level 3: Infusion ​☒​Level 4: Integration
☐​Level 5: Expansion ​☐​Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

This activity supports the UDL framework and supports all students because of its flexibility in entry and its
connection to real current events. Excel by nature has a fairly low entry level, but an extremely high skill

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 Basic Productivity Tools (BPT)
ceiling, which allows every student to engage with the content but also leaves room for students to go further
than the lesson content and examine and compare more data. Excel also provides a significant flexibility in
how data is presented, which can help students choose the visual that works the best with them for their
data. This will help them engage with the data and the article content more, and help them draw
sophisticated conclusions about the data based on the work that they themselves created and shared with
their class. This aspect of sharing the work with the community also engages with UDL and high LoTi levels, as
students can compare their findings to see if there are any significant results between groups or any patterns
in the data.

Lesson idea implementation:

Students will be asked to read the article by the Washington Post before class to get an introduction to the
Stop-and-Frisk policy and the controversies surrounding it. When class begins, the students will be seated in
their designated groups and the data sheet will be introduced. As a whole class, each group will learn how to
randomize data and select a sample size, as well as create charts, using the same data points. Because each
group will be following along, but all of the data will be randomized, there can be a discussion about how
similarities between the groups’ results could be stronger indications of a trend or correlation.

The students will then be asked to collectively decide within their groups which data points they would like to
compare to look for possible correlations. Feedback can be given on a group-individual basis as I cycle around
the classroom. At the end of class, the groups will present their findings, including possible trends and/or
confounding variables. This lesson would likely take place over the course of one or two classes.
Reflective Practice:
This activity enhances student learning by allowing them to explore a controversial topic within the society
they will be expected to actively participate in. Students could also be asked to complete a written refelction
in Word detailing their thoughts and opinions on the data they found.

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