In this world of information explosion, we are constantly bombarded by numbers. How do you make sense of those numbers? How can you tell which are used correctly and which are not? How can we use statistical tools to inform, to explore and to empower? What are the larger frameworks behind those numbers? How do we use quantitative reasoning to enhance our understanding of the society? This class will put statistics into context. We will cover basic statistical concepts and processes used in social sciences. Focus will be placed on real life scenarios and sense making practices. Besides workshops, we will conduct studies to get our feet wet in the social scientific research. This course will meet the statistics prerequisite requirements of the Master In Teaching (MiT), the Master of Public Administration (MPA), and the Master of Environmental Studies (MES) programs.