Distribution shape describes the overall pattern of how data values are spread when displayed in a histogram or dot plot. Common shapes include symmetric (bell curve), skewed left, skewed right, uniform (all values equally common), and bimodal (two peaks).
"If you make a histogram, what shape emerges? A bell curve? A slope leaning one way? Two peaks? The shape tells you about what's typical and what's unusual in your data."
Why it matters: Distribution Shape helps students read data as a whole pattern instead of a pile of disconnected values. That habit matters because many statistical decisions depend on where a value sits in context, how symmetric the pattern is, and whether a simple summary would hide important structure.