AO2: Use simple fractions and percentages to describe probabilities.

This activity provides students with a fun, game context in which to practice their addition skills. It also introduces concepts of probability.

The unit provides a focus on interpreting data displays, including analysing any distinctive features. It also focuses on moving students from intuitive and experimental ways of determining possible outcomes to the development of a more systematic approach. This movement from intuition to system and theory is a fundamental aspect of mathematics. It is also what distinguishes mathematics from other disciplines. Mathematics tries to quantify and organise the world on a sound and provable basis. Hence Pythagoras’ Theorem tells us without doubt that the square on the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle is equal to the sum of the squares on the other two sides. This can be proved without doubt. Similarly we can prove that the probability of getting a 3 when two dice are rolled is 1/18. This certainty does not occur for instance in other sciences. Think about the development of our knowledge of the Universe. Once we believed that the Earth was supported on the back of a turtle. Later we believed that the Earth was at the centre of the Universe. Our ideas have grown from there and are still growing as we meet obstacles to the latest theory. Naturally this does not make mathematics better in any way. It is rather just different and it is trying to do a slightly different job.

Two red and two blue multi-link cubes are placed in a bag. The player takes out two cubes. If the player gets two red cubes they win. The unit looks at, analyses, and extends, this game of chance.

Three coins are tossed. A player wins if two heads and a tail come up. The unit looks at, analyses, and extends, this game of chance.

In this unit, students will explore the commonly held believe that if anything bad can possibly happen it will and at the most inopportune time. They will be encouraged to look at events involving chance and predict the likelihood of certain outcomes by both trialling the event and analysing it theoretically. There is a lot of work in this unit so you might like to spread it over more than one week or do different parts at different times of the year. Some of the simulations are reasonably complicated so it may take studetns most of a lesson until they have come to grips with the rules involved.

In this unit we investigate the link between experimental and theoretical probability and learn about short run variability. We thentake part in sports betting simulations designed to illustrate how damaging gambling can

This is a problem from the Statistics strand.

This is a level 4 statistics activity from the Figure It Out series.

This is a level 4 statistics activity from the Figure It Out series.

This is a level 4 statistics activity from the Figure It Out series.

This is a level 4 statistics activity from the Figure It Out series.

This is a level 4 probability activity from the Figure It Out theme series.

This is a level 4 statistics activity from the Figure It Out series.

This is a level 4 statistics activity from the Figure It Out series.