Probability Activity 1

Activity 1

1.    Show the spinners to students. Comparing 2 spinners, find out which ones the students think are most likely to land on red (or some other color depending on the spinners), in 2 spins, 3 spins, etc. Question the students about other colors and why they chose their answers.
2.    Discuss the term “experimental probability” and how it relates to “expected value”. You might want to take some of your results from the coin tossing that your class has already completed and show them how to convert the ratios by dividing the numerator by the denominator to find the experimental probability.
3.    Divide the class into groups of 4 and give each group a spinner with 6 divisions. They should record the type of spinner they are using and what color the spinner lands on during each trial (spin). Each group should do at least 25 spins. Then, students will find the sum for each color, find the ratio, and then find the experimental probability.
4.    Groups will write their totals for each color on the board. All students will compute the new experimental probability (using the sum of all totals), and see if it has changed as a result of more trials.

Sample Worksheet:
Type of Spinner: 5 divisions, 2 red, one blue, one green, one yellow

Student:______________
Date:________________

Prediction: What do you think the results will show?_____________________________________________

Red Blue Green Yellow

Trial 1 ____ ____ ____ ____

Trial 2 ____ ____ ____ ____

Totals:
Expected Value:
Experimental:
Probability:

Find the other groups using the same kind of spinner. Add your totals for each color and compute your new experimental probabilities. Are they the same as your original computations or different? Explain.

Place this worksheet in your math journal.

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created by Nelda Baker
Magdalena, NM
Last updated July 30, 2002 08:57 AM -0600