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References for Displaying Quantitative Data

Curated resources to deepen your understanding of dotplots, stemplots, histograms, distribution shapes, and outlier identification.

Wikipedia Articles

  1. Histogram - Wikipedia - Detailed explanation of histogram construction including bin width selection, variations like frequency polygons, and interpretation guidelines. Includes mathematical foundations and historical development.

  2. Stem-and-leaf display - Wikipedia - Covers stemplot construction, back-to-back stemplots for comparison, and the advantages of preserving original data values. Explains when stemplots are preferred over histograms.

  3. Outlier - Wikipedia - Comprehensive treatment of outliers including detection methods, causes, and how to handle unusual observations. Discusses the impact of outliers on statistical analyses.

Textbooks

  1. The Practice of Statistics by Daren S. Starnes, Josh Tabor, and Dan Yates - W.H. Freeman (2018) - Chapter 1 provides thorough coverage of dotplots, stemplots, and histograms with AP-style practice problems. Excellent treatment of describing distributions using shape, center, spread, and outliers.

  2. Statistics in Action by Ann E. Watkins, Richard L. Scheaffer, and George W. Cobb - Key Curriculum Press (2008) - Activity-based approach to learning data displays. Students construct graphs by hand before using technology, building deeper understanding of how visualizations work.

Online Resources

  1. Khan Academy: Displaying Quantitative Data - Khan Academy - Video lessons covering dotplots, stemplots, and histograms with step-by-step construction guidance. Interactive exercises provide immediate feedback on identifying distribution shapes.

  2. Desmos: Histogram and Statistics - Desmos - Free graphing calculator with built-in histogram tool. Allows students to enter data and experiment with different bin widths to see how histogram appearance changes.

  3. StatKey: Descriptive Statistics - Lock5 - Online simulation tool for exploring distributions. Features interactive dotplots and histograms with adjustable parameters for understanding shape, center, and spread.

  4. Data Visualization Catalogue: Histogram - Severino Ribecca - Visual reference guide explaining when to use histograms and common variations. Includes examples of good and poor histogram design choices.

  5. Rossman/Chance Applet Collection - CalPoly Statistics - Collection of Java applets for statistics education. The histogram applet lets students explore how changing bin width affects interpretation of the same dataset.