Fish fair
This is a level 3 probability activity from the Figure It Out theme series. A PDF of the student activity is included.
About this resource
Figure It Out is a series of 80 books published between 1999 and 2009 to support teaching and learning in New Zealand classrooms.
This resource provides the teachers' notes and answers for one activity from the Figure It Out series. A printable PDF of the student activity can be downloaded from the materials that come with this resource.
Specific learning outcomes:
- Explore how results can differ from expectations.
Fish fair
Achievement objectives
S3-3: Investigate simple situations that involve elements of chance by comparing experimental results with expectations from models of all the outcomes, acknowledging that samples vary.
Required materials
- Figure it Out, Levels 2–3, Theme: Under the Sea, "Fish fair", page 12
- 3 identical cups, 2 counters
- a classmate
See Materials that come with this resource to download:
- Fish fair game (.pdf)
Activity
Game
Students can play this game in pairs and record their results systematically. For example, they can use a tally:
Discuss the need to play a large number of games to increase the reliability of results. If many students are playing the game, the results can be collated to get a larger sample.
Students should notice that a player wins only about one-third of the time. Encourage them to explain these results. Here are some possible methods:
- One of the three cups will make you lose. (the opposite of winning).
Possible results:
Game
A game about data recording
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