Materials and Resources
Supplies
- A variety of strategy and chance games (Any card or dice game such as: Yahtzee* and UNO*)
- Two types of pasta (two colors or two shapes)
- Paper bags
- Dice (two per group)
Internet Resources
The Shoder Foundation Web site offers technological tools for probability experiments and analyses. This site offers computer simulated probability experiments with pre-set spinners, make your own spinners, and dice sums allowing students to experiment with large numbers of spins or rolls and analyze the frequency table of results. This is a great site for exploring and learning that a large number of trials produce better estimates of relative frequencies of events. Below are direct links to specific activities:
A: www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/prob/index.html*
Pre-Set Spinners, Make-Your-Own Spinners and Dice Sums with frequency tables
B: www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/race/index.html*
Racing Game with one die
C: www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/racing/index.html*
Racing Game with two dice
D: www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/dice/index.html*
Two dice and a table
E: www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/spinner/index.html*
Adjustable spinners
F: www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/chances/index.html*
Crazy Choices activity allows the user to run up to three different games of chance at once, allowing for comparisons of experimental and theoretical probabilities.
Other sites that offer probability software and games include:
Technology - Hardware
- Computer to complete slideshow presentations, and view Web sites
- Projector to show student examples and model expectations
- Internet connectivity to browse the Web sites
Technology - Software
- Multimedia software to complete student slideshow presentations
- Word processing software to complete teacher support documents
- Internet browser to browse the Web sites
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