A variety of quantitative approaches to Congressional elections in which students learn the causes of electoral outcomes, the predictability of those outcomes, and intervening variables that produce unexpected outcomes.

This lesson is a classroom activity where students learn about paleontologist Mary Anning, briefly learn about sedimentary rock, and complete observation drawings of Platteville Limestone fossils.

This model-eliciting activity challenges students to operationally define a construct (study effectiveness). Students are given a survey to review that rates different aspects of study behaviors. They are then given a set of data for a few students and asked to use their scores to determine an index of study effectiveness. After determining a method, they are then asked to use this index to put five students in rank order according to their scores on study effectiveness. Students write a report explaining the method they used to determine these scores and how they produced their ratings.

This set of assignments exposes students to statistics and data pertaining to economic wellbeing over time across racial (black-white) categories in the U.S.

Solving Mystery in Alaska and investigating the role of science in July 2000 Alaska fishing ban with the intention to protect Steller sea lions.

This assignment asks students to examine several recent U.S. census tables about Hispanics and educational attainment and write a brief report that details the conclusions they reach.

Students were asked to compare their estimates of public opinion on several current issues to the actual values obtained through the analysis of National Surveys. The objective was to explore a common social attribution error and to acquire familiarity with data sources and on-line analysis tools.

This assignment is designed to introduce quantitative reasoning and critical thinking in viewing documentary videos on the issues of development. Students will write a review essay about one of three designated documentaries for the course.

Students will read an academic article critically and write a review of the article.

This assignment exposes students to racial inequalities in their own communities and helps them to identify the impact of racial segregation on quality of life. The big ideas in this assignment are racial inequality, residential segregation, and environmental justice.

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This Computer Technology lab is designed to engage students in the process of organizing and presenting data in a visual way so that they can then summarize in writing their conclusions about the relationships between the data.

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This workshop entails the reading of a highly quantitative article, summarizing it for a different audience, and reflecting upon what choices and opportunities audience presents for quantitative writers.

This activity is a field investigation of puddles where students gather data and record their findings.

(How) have public attitudes about work and gender changed over the last 25 years? Using the General Social Survey (available online) students will conduct a descriptive statistical analysis of Americans perceptions about women and work from 1988. They will then contextualize their findings within the contemporary literature about these issues.

Students explore and experiment with various objects to find which materials will float or sink. They record predictions and results, and generate ideas about the properties of materials that float or sink.

This activity is a field investigation where students will make stream observations to determine its geologic processes and influence to our local topography.

Principles of economics students are asked to collect and analyze data on a few macro economic aggregates to give them a first taste of empirical work.

This unit has students build on a system diagram, to include new knowledge about quantitative values and relationships. They will also write about and discuss what they know about their systems, the questions that still remain, and how to find answers to their questions.

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This is a introductory lab exercise that is intended to convey the concept of the logarithmic scale used for earthquake magnitude. The students will visualize magnitude as a distance over the ground, by using a contrived conversion between magnitude and distance. Using distances helps the students understand how logarithmic scales, like magnitude, work because this is one of the few scales that students are familiar with that spans several orders of magnitude. Students typically use calculators to determine the distance associated with each magnitude. Maps should be provided in the lab/classroom that are on several scales: campus maps, city maps, state maps, and a national map work well. This activity gives the students practice in making unit conversions and in developing arguments by analogy.
Addresses student fear of quantitative aspect and/or inadequate quantitative skills
Addresses student misconceptions

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)