The negative hypergeometric distribution is often not formally studied in secondary or collegiate statistics in contexts other than drawing cards without replacement. We present a different context with the potential of engaging students in simulating and exploring data.

This article describes four semesters of introductory statistics courses that incorporate service learning and gardening into the curriculum with applications of the binomial distribution, least squares regression and hypothesis testing. The activities span multiple semesters and are iterative in nature.

The sample mean is sometimes depicted as a fulcrum placed under the Dot plot. We provide an alternative geometric visualization of the sample mean using the empirical cumulative distribution function or the cumulative histogram data.

Students often are confused about the differences between bar graphs and histograms. The authors discuss some reasons behind this confusion and offer suggestions that help clarify thinking.