Expected level of development
Australian Curriculum Mathematics V9: AC9M4P02
Numeracy Progression: Understanding chance: P3
At this level, students conduct repeated chance experiments. Students carry out an experiment multiple times, record the results, and identify and describe any variation in these results.
Students conduct repeated chance experiments to observe relationships between outcomes. They can use physical materials or virtual random generators to investigate the probabilities of tossing a coin, rolling a die or spinning a spinner in a small number of trials. Invite students to repeat the experiments and make explicit different ways of comparing results to identify and describe any variation.
There is an opportunity for students to make connections to statistics, plan and conduct statistical investigations (AC9M4ST03).
Teaching and learning summary:
- Provide opportunities to conduct chance experiments.
- Make explicit different ways to record the results of a chance experiment.
- Facilitate discussion that focuses on variation of results from repeated experiments.
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Teaching strategies
A collection of evidence-based teaching strategies applicable to this topic. Note we have not included an exhaustive list and acknowledge that some strategies such as differentiation apply to all topics. The selected teaching strategies are suggested as particularly relevant, however you may decide to include other strategies as well.
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Mathematics investigation
By giving students meaningful problems to solve they are engaged and can apply their learning, thereby deepening their understanding.
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Explicit teaching
Explicit teaching is about making the learning intentions and success criteria clear, with the teacher using examples and working though problems, setting relevant learning tasks and checking student understanding and providing feedback.
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Questioning
A culture of questioning should be encouraged and students should be comfortable to ask for clarification when they do not understand.
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Classroom talks
Classroom talks enable students to develop language, build mathematical thinking skills and create mathematical meaning through collaborative conversations.
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Collaborative learning
For group work to be effective students need to be taught explicitly how to work together in different settings, such as pairs or larger groups, and they need to practise these skills.
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Teaching resources
A range of resources to support you to build your student's understanding of these concepts, their skills and procedures. The resources incorporate a variety of teaching strategies.
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Rolling dice
The purpose of this activity is to engage students in finding an expected number based on equally likely outcomes.
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Cube and spinner challenges
Use this task to discuss what makes a fair game and then explore examples to decide which ones have an equal chance of winning or losing.
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Spinners explore
Students use this digital tool to test the effect on probabilities changing three equal-sized sectors.
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Roll die simulation
Use this dynamic software to conduct a simple dice roll.
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Pick a card
Use this dynamic software to get a random card from a shuffled deck of 52 standard playing cards.
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Three spinners
Use a classroom talk to discuss number patterns to match spinners to outcomes of a chance experiment.
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Patent problems
Students investigate simple situations that involve elements of chance, recognising equal and different likelihoods, and acknowledging uncertainty.
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Developing probability and statistics
This resource provides useful background on teaching about chance and probability.
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Three coins on a table
This problem solving activity has a statistics focus
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