Probability: Playing with Fire

Students sort, classify, and graph M & M's. They create pictographs and bar graphs with the colors and numbers in each bag of M & M's. They calculate the ratio and probability based on class results.

Exactly how fair are the board games children grow up playing? Young mathematicians investigate this questions as they work their way through this five-lesson series on basic probability. 

Few things can motivate children to learn like the promise of a sweet and tasty treat. Given a bag of M&M®s, Skittles®, or other colorful candy, students first predict the contents of the bag before counting the pieces, creating a...

Introduce your class to a sure-fire method for calculating probabilities. The method is described alongside several examples, then put into practice with a series of probability questions for the class to solve. This would be a great...

Upper grade and middle schoolers make predictions, collect data, and interpret the data as it relates to the concept of probability. They work with a partner tossing marshmallows and recording if they land on their side or on their...

Upper elementary and middle schoolers work with the concept of probability. They are introduced to the concept of chaos. Learners graph and analyze using a line plot, work with mean, and are introduced to the concept of variance.

Collect and graph data using Microsoft Excel with your math class. They will make predictions about the number of each colored candy in a bag of M&M's, then sort, classify, count, and record the actual data before using Excel to...

Learners work in pairs with a small bag of jellybeans to estimate the number of candies in their bags and then figure out how many groups of 10 jellybeans are contained in their bags. They then graph the information using a pictograph or...

Students compare the differences in catching four different pieces of equipment. They, in groups, practice catching the items, and discuss which one was the easiest and hardest to catch, and graph their results.