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 WHY A STATISTICS POSTER COMPETITION?

The NCTM Standards for Curriculum and Evaluation in School Mathematics presents the vision that problem-solving is a primary goal of mathematics instruction.  The Standards recommend student involvement in statistical activities at all grade levels.

The Grade Level Content Expectations for Michigan students include data representation as early as grade 1, numerical summaries in grade 5, probability in grade 6, scatterplots in grade 7, and informal statistical inference in high school.  In all grade levels, emphasis is placed on using statistics to analyze data and draw conclusions. Constructing a statistics poster is a powerful way to attain these goals while exercising essential communication skills.

All students in grades K through 12 residing in Michigan are eligible to participate. Entries will be judged in four different grade level categories:

• Category 1: Grades K-3

• Category 2: Grades 4-6

• Category 3: Grades 7-9

• Category 4: Grades 10-12

There is no entry fee!  We prefer that you use the links above to register on-line (registration).

• Registration form securely paper-clipped to the poster. DO NOT permanently affix registration to the poster.

• Poster with description (see rules) securely attached to the poster back.

• Note: Multiple entries may be mailed together but must have separate registration forms. Please send entries flat between taped sheets of cardboard. Do not send posters rolled in a tube.

Posters must be postmarked by March 6, 2010. They should be delivered to:

Department of Statistics
Michigan Statistics Poster Competition
A-1-178 Mackinac Hall
Grand Valley State University
One Campus Drive
Allendale MI 49401-9403

Prize winners will be notified by April 4, 2010.

• Posters are to measure between 18 to 24 inches by 24 to 30 inches.
• Any weight of paper is permitted. Standard posterboard is recommended.
• Be sure that anything attached to the front of the poster is affixed securely.  Do not attach perishable items.
• Posters must be the original design and creation of the students.
• In the K-3 category, at least one graph is required. In the 4-12 categories, at least two graphs are required. The two graphs should impart different information (e.g., a bar graph and a pie chart of the same variable does not meet this criteria). Computer generated graphs are acceptable. 
• Subject matter is the choice of the participants. Data may be original or published. For published data, a reference must be given.
• A brief description including the method of collection and purpose must be securely attached to the back of the poster.
• Posters and the brief description must not contain any marks, names, or information that reveal the identity of the individual, team, school, or location.
• Students may work individually or in teams. For the K-3 category, there is no restriction on the size of the team (it may be as large as the entire class). For the other three categories, the team may have up to four students. For teams with members from different grade levels, the highest grade level determines the category.

By submitting a poster, students give permission for their work to be displayed at various conferences, special events, in publications and promotional material, and in electronic format on the Internet. Posters become the property of the competition organizers and are not returned. Top entries will be submitted to the 2010 American Statistical Association Poster Competition.

Entries will be judged within the four grade-level categories on the basis of:

• Overall impact of the display

Does the poster catch your eye?

Does the poster draw you into the investigation?

• Clarity of the message

Do important relationships and patterns in the data stand out?

Can conclusions stand alone without the explanatory paragraph on the back?

• Appropriateness of the graphs for the data

• Creativity

• Content

Is the topic important relative to the grade category?

Prizes in the amounts of $72, $48, and $36 will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each of the grade level categories. Winning entrants' schools will receive plaques signifying the honor. Honorable mention certificates will be awarded also. Winning posters will be displayed after mid-morning March 27, 2010, at the Michigan Science Olympiad in the GVSU Fieldhouse on the Allendale campus.

You may access the scoring rubric used by the judges!

For additional information contact one of the event organizers:

LINKS

• Michigan Statistics Poster Competition 2008 Winners
• American Statistical Association National Poster Competition Page
• Pennsylvania Poster Competition Page (includes previous winners)
• Visit the American Statistical Association Home Page