Here is a link to the game we played today as we continue studying probability. It is a little bit addictive, and even more so when you try the higher levels.
Frogs and Ladders
Also, here are the instructions to game we played with one die and a piece of paper to keep track of our scores.
Taking Your Chances
Materials
– regular die
– sheets of paper (1 per student)
– pencils
Here's how it goes:
• The teacher rolls the die 20 times. After each roll, students add the number indicated on the die to the total obtained in previous rolls. Students may use paper and pencil to help them keep track of their running total.
• If the teacher rolls a 1, students lose their accumulated total, and their score becomes 1. Students continue to add on from 1 in subsequent rolls of the die.
• At any point in the game, students may “freeze” their score by standing up. For example, if a student has achieved a score of 16, he or she may stop at 16 and stand up.
• After the teacher has rolled the die 20 times, the class determines which student has the highest score. Two or more students may have the same high score.
After playing the game a few times, ask questions, such as the following:
• “What strategy did you use to play the game? How did you decide when to freeze your score?”
• “Were you able to predict when a 1 would be rolled? Why or why not?”
• “How likely is it for a 1 to be rolled? Why?”
• “What are the chances that a 1 would be rolled? How do you know that the chances of rolling a 1 are 1 out of 6?”
The more players, the more fun this is! It would make a great game for family game night.
