Week 1
During week one of Mathletics, the program is introduced, goals are explained, and students participate in team-building activities. Participants learn the four stages of sports data analytics: gathering data, analysis, visualization, and explaining significance. Participants apply these stages by collecting data on their favorite sports and creating visualizations. Students are also introduced to the football combine and analyze personal performance data. Additionally, students begin to explore the concepts of statistical questions, quantitative versus qualitative data, and samples versus populations, and correlation. Finally, students engage in a golf lesson at a local golf course and explore terms such as strokes, ace, birdie, and bogey.
Week 2
Week 2 of Mathletics focuses on designing research questions and starting the Choice Investigations. Students prepare for attendance at a Mystics game by practicing data collection on 3-point shots and free throws. After the game, students analyze Mystics game data and interpret shot chart statistics, comparing player performance based on field goal percentages. Additionally, students work on their Choice Investigations, including source identification, data collection and data analysis. They review concepts of correlation versus causation using soccer combine data and explore data visualization techniques.
Week 3
Week 3 of Mathletics camp focuses on statistical analysis Choice Investigation completion. Activities center around shapes of distributions, standard deviation, and data visualization using dot plots and histograms. Students sketch distribution graphs, sort them by shape, and discuss the characteristics of normal, skewed left, and skewed right distributions. The concept of standard deviation is introduced using visual examples, and the differences between dot plots and histograms are explored. Week 3 is also dedicated to Choice Investigation time, with students focusing on statistical questions, data analysis, and visual representation. Students also completed post-camp surveys to assess their engagement, interest, and learning outcomes. The week culminates in the public presentation of Choice Investigations and a closing ceremony.