Title: Week 8 — the most famous curve in statistics (and your midterm roadmap)
Course: Introduction to Statistics (18-Week Generic Edition)

Hi everyone,

Remember last week's binomial histograms — how the bars kept arranging themselves into the same bell silhouette? That was a preview. This week we meet the curve itself: the normal distribution, drawn completely by just two numbers, and able to turn "how far from typical?" into an exact percentage. What percent of batteries outlast the warranty? How unusual is a 70-inch woman — and is she relatively taller than a 74-inch man? By the end of the week, those are one z-score and one table lookup away.

Three things not to miss: 1. Chapter 8 is your primary reading — it carries the friendly z-table you'll use everywhere this week. Start there. 2. Data Lab 8 puts the week's big judgment call — is the bell actually there? — to the test on our penguins. Spoiler: which penguins you pool changes the answer. The Discussion ("Designed for the Middle") wants your initial post two days before the week ends. 3. Midterm heads-up, calmly: next week's midterm covers Weeks 1–8 — and it's a low-stakes checkpoint (5%, 50 multiple-choice, closed to AI). The study guide, practice exam, and exam-prep tutorial are all in the Week 9 module. This week's lecture closes with the review roadmap, so you'll walk in with the whole first half organized as one story.

One habit to bring: before any table lookup, sketch the bell and shade the region you want. Ten seconds of drawing prevents the classic wrong-tail error — and this week you'll also get to catch your chatbot misquoting a z-table from memory. The tool drafts; you judge.

Open the Start Here / Module Overview page first — it lays out everything in order with due points. See you in the course!