Virginia Standards of Learning
7th Grade
Probability and Statistics
7.14 The student will investigate and describe the difference between the probability of an event found through simulation versus the theoretical probability of that same event.
Lessons (4)
Introduces students to concepts that lead to probability.
Introduces students to simple probability concepts.
Looks at data structures and their applications to probability theory.
Considers probability problems with unexpected and surprising answers.
Activities (7)
Students run a simulation of how a fire will spread through a stand of trees, learning about probability and chaos. Parameters: Forest density, wind direction, size of forest.
Create a game spinner with variable sized sectors to look at experimental and theoretical probabilities. Parameters: Sizes of sectors, number of sectors, number of trials.
Experiment with a simulation to get an approximation of Pi by dropping a needle on a lined sheet of paper.
Compare theoretical and experimental probabilities, using dice, cards, spinners, or coin tosses. Three different probabilities can be compared at once. Parameters: Type of probabilities, number of trials.
Experiment with the outcome distribution for a roll of two dice by simulating a dice throwing game. Parameters: Which player wins with which total rolled.
Experiment with probability using a fixed size section spinner, a variable section spinner, two regular 6-sided dice or customized dice.
Simulate a game where two players each roll a die, and the lucky player moves one step to the finish. Parameters: what rolls win and how many steps to the finish line.