Statistics is not a class that the majority of high schoolers take. Even though Statics offers some of the most practical real world applications, many students take calculus or trigonometry instead. Some schools, especially those without a selection or with a narrow selection of Advanced Placement classes do not even offer Statistics as an option. Arguing statistics’ merits does not seek to diminish the importance of the knowledge offered by calculus, but rather place focus on an area of math that has more use in daily life. If you are not scientist, you probably do not use calculus every day. While calculus may explain the workings of our physical world, statistics illuminates the trends that occur in everyday life. Statistical illiteracy allows journalists, politicians, and the general public to be …show more content…
That’s a statistical question” (Thompson). Furthermore, examine the treatment of probability. Gamblers flock to Las Vegas, online poker games, and lottery selling convenience stores but lose astronomically due to their lack of understanding of their odds (Thompson). Implementation of high school statistics courses would be relatively easy and inexpensive and because the course involves games and gambling, it would present a more appealing subject than calculus for many high schoolers. After matriculating, these former students could apply the concepts they learned in their statistics course to understand the risks, rewards, and pure randomness that life presents them every day (Benjamin). Such literacy can even go as far as to help you draft your fantasy football team (“What Is Statistics?”). critical thinking. Because there is no cultural stress on the importance of statistics, people ignore gargantuan amounts of data (Rosling). How can you make an informed decision without understanding the probability entailed in the options