Probability and statistics have become indispensable to scientific, technical, and management progress. They serve as essential dialects of mathematics, the classical language of science, and as instruments necessary for intelligent generation and analysis of information. A prelude to probability and statistics is presented by examination of the important concepts that form their foundation. The brief written discussion of these concepts in outline form is augmented by examples and a bibliography. The outline forms the basis for both a series of lectures to eleventh grade students in a Mathematics Summer Honors Program, and a series of lectures to secondary mathematics teachers in a workshop on probability and statistics. (RP)