AP Statistics Final Project (150 Points)

Either individually or in groups of 2 or 3, you will identify a researchable (testable)

hypothesis with measurable variables, design a properly controlled randomized experiment
to test it, carry out the experiment, and analyze the resulting data. The emphasis is on
proper design and analysis techniques, not so much on gathering a large enough data set to
be able to reach an authoritative conclusion. Remember, we are doing this since you have
already taken the AP Exam, so this project is taking the place of any homework and tests.
It will count as both a grade in the 4th marking period and as your finale exam grade!!!
Your project is due the day of your scheduled final exam (TBD) where we will have class
presentations (which will be discussed later on in this handout).
I.

Your report/project must include the following:

o Summary of what your project is about
o Clearly state your null and alternative hypotheses
o Describe how you carried out the experiment
o Discuss why you designed the experiment
o Include all the data you gathered (perhaps in an appendix or table)
o Present the data graphically and/or in tables
o Use good data summaries (mean, standard deviation, and other measures)
o Describe the test of your hypothesis and show your calculations
o Make some conclusions about your hypothesis, using a confidence level (your
choosing) and a test with a P-value.
o Worth 100 points of the project

II.

Oral presentation
o Must be between 5 10 minutes in length
o You can do this in a variety of ways, i.e. a poster board, handout, PowerPoint
presentation, a video, pretty much anyway you want to present your project
it is up to you with the amount of creativity you wish to partake
o Clearly state the hypothesis and why you chose it
o Clearly explain how you carried out your experiment
o Present the highlights of your gathered data with a few nice visuals (tables
and/or graphs)
o Give your conclusion and discuss the confidence in your results
o Worth 50 points of the project

III.

Here are some possible topics for research

A. The following are the more commonly chosen topics:
o Which soda do you prefer? Coke or Pepsi?
o Are the colors of M&Ms inside a bag all equal?
o Does it take more than 200 licks to reach the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop?
o Do snack-size bags of Sour Skittles have less than 20% yellow?
o Are there really 2 scoops of raisins in Kelloggs Raisin Bran?
o Is there really chocolate in every bite of a Chips Ahoy Chocolate Cookie (blue
bag)?

B.

C.
D.
E.

o How many hours do students study each week?

o Is there a relationship between the lengths of mens (or womens) feet and
their height?
o Is the state lottery a wise investment?
o A comparison of casino games: blackjack versus roulette
o Does a sports team have an advantage by playing at home instead of away?
o Do women have more car crashes than men?
o Compare the GPAs of males versus females for your appropriate grade level
(i.e. sophomores, juniors, or seniors)?
o Is there a relationship between student grade point average and the amount
of television watched? If so, what is it?
o A comparison of reaction times measured with right and left hands
o Is the proportion of male and female smokers equal?
The following topics require a bit more research on your part, but are still a
possibility:
o Does coaching improve SAT or ACT scores?
o Do people with a high IQ have a specific personality trait?
o Do states with capital punishment have a lower homicide rate than those
states without?
o Does Vitamin C prevent colds?
o How much weight does a Big Mac a day add on to a body?
o How much does solely the racial population of a neighborhood affect housing
prices?
o Are there any factors that can predict the success or failure of a marriage?
(like a common faith, age at marriage, differences in the age between couples,
the marital status of parents, etc.)
o How much do people trust the unsolicited input of a stranger versus someone
they know? Does it matter what your race or gender is? Or what it is that
you are wearing?
o Does money spent on a major movie predict its box office success?
Keep in mind that there are many topics you can choose from, so please pick
something that you have interest in or want to find out.
If you come up with your own unique topic not listed here, please make sure that I
approve it first.
Each individual or group may only select ONE topic each, so basically it is on a first
come first serve basis. NO DEBATING THIS!!!

Project/Report Evaluation Sheet

NAME(S):___________________________________________________________________
TOPIC:_____________________________________________________________________
The Project/Report is worth 100 points. Here is a breakdown of possible points:
1) Summary of what your project/report is about (10 points) __________
Should be roughly one page and can include any research you may have done
on your topic (include any bibliography is necessary)
2) Clearly state your null and alternative hypotheses (10 points) __________
In words
Mathematically
3) Describe how your carried out the experiment and discuss why and how you
designed the experiment (10 points) __________
Initial plan
Actual plan (any remarks on finding data or gathering data)
4) Include all the data you gathered (10 points) __________
Display in a table with the actual raw data (surveys or a print off from a
website in an appendix or table)
5) Create at least two graphs by hand of your data and comment on what it shows (20
points) __________
Box plot
Stem plot
Scatterplot
Histogram
Pie chart
Or your choice
6) Use good data summaries/statistics (means, standard deviations, or other measures)
(10 points) __________
Include comments on your summary statistics, maybe a sketch of your curve
and whether it is skewed or normal, note the center, spread, and shape, as
well as the 5-# summary
7) Describe the test of your hypothesis and show your calculations (20 points)
__________
State which test your used and why
Construct a confidence interval
Find the test statistic and P-value

8) Conclusions about your hypothesis (10 points) __________

About one page of what your found through doing this whole experience
Total points on project/report:____________
Comments:

Presentation Grade Sheet

NAME(S):____________________________________________________________________
Oral presentation is worth 50 points. Here is a breakdown of possible points:
1) Clearly stated hypothesis and why you chose it (10 points) __________
2) Explain how you carried out your experiment (this should take some thought and
time) (10 points) __________
3) Present the highlights of your gathered data with a few nice visuals (tables and/or
graphs) (10 points) __________
4) Give your conclusions and discuss your confidence in your results (10 points)
__________
5) Average from your peers (10 points) __________
Total points from your oral presentation: ____________
Comments:

Final Grade: ____________

Comments: