Education Technology


Sampling Distribution of Differences

Activity Overview

This activity covers the distribution of a difference between two independent sample proportions or two independent sample means.

Before the Activity

Install the Statistics with List Editor application on the calculator using one of these two methods:

  • TI Connect™, a TI Connectivity Cable, and the Unit-to-Unit Link Cable
  • TI-Navigator™  "send to class" feature
  • See the attached PDF file for detailed instructions for this activity
  • Print pages 129 - 134 from the attached PDF file for your class
  • During the Activity

    Distribute the pages to your class.

    Follow the Activity procedures:

  • Enter sample data from two population sets as lists
  • Calculate the mean, standard deviation, and variance for each data set
  • Create a list to store the difference of data of the first two lists
  • Calculate the mean, standard deviation, and variance for the data in this list
  • Set up boxplots for each list
  • Construct a normal probability scatter plot for the third list and observe that the data is normally distributed
  • After the Activity

    Review student results:

  • As a class, discuss questions that appeared to be more challenging
  • Re-teach concepts as necessary