Probably Pistachio
This is a statistics activity based on the picture book Probably Pistachio.
About this resource
This activity, Take a chance!, is based on the picture book Probably Pistachio (words by Stuart J. Murphy and illustrations by Marsha Winborn).
Specific learning outcomes:
- Relate probability vocabulary to possible outcomes.
- Create situations that demonstrate an understanding of chance.
Probably Pistachio
Achievement objective
S1-3: Investigate situations that involve elements of chance, acknowledging and anticipating possible outcomes.
Description of mathematics
The words used to describe the chance of an outcome relate to the ratio of one possible outcome to another.
Required materials
- items to create sets (e.g., buttons, counters, shells, stones, marbles)
- various-sized clear jars
- Probably Pistachio by Stuart J. Murphy
See Materials that come with this resource to download:
- Probably Pistachio vocab cards CM (.pdf)
Activity: Take a chance!
The vocabulary of possible outcomes is explored through a story of one boy’s day when everything goes wrong. As the day unfolds, Jack tries to predict what will happen based on experience and chance. The pictograms that represent his thinking are valuable representations of how we use experience and knowledge to make predictions.
1.
Prior to reading, demonstrate the idea of "possible outcomes" by placing several items in a clear container or plastic bag. (The items should all be the same size and shape but different colours, such as Unifix blocks or ounters.) Cover the jar or bag and ask students to make a prediction about what chance they have of pulling out a particular colour based on what they know about the colours you put in. Ask a student to select an item without looking and check the prediction.
For example, put in 6 red blocks and ask:
- What chance do you have of getting a green one?
Or put in 5 red and 1 blue and ask:
- What will I probably get when I pick one out?
Encourage the use of key vocabulary words you will be looking for during the activity.
2.
Share the book with your students, emphasising the vocabulary. You may want to create a word bank as you read. As you get to the pages where Jack’s thinking is shown in bubbles, ask students to pair-share and make predictions about what the outcome will be on the next page.
3.
Make a large copy of the Probably Pistachio vocab cards CM and discuss each word and colour in the agreed amount of the strip beside the word so everyone has a shared understanding of the visual cue. Cut the strips apart and give each pair of students one key word strip. For example:
4.
Then ask students to use the containers or jars and the sets of items (counters, blocks, buttons, etc.) to create a jar that shows the chance word they have. Get them to test their chance jar with another pair.
5.
To follow on from this lesson, students can continue to explore the vocabulary and the chance jars by trying other words and discussing which ones are “sure things” and which ones are easier or harder to predict. There are also several follow-up activities suggested at the back of the book in the notes provided for adults.
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