The Birthday Paradox problem can be investigated either with a carefully constructed spreadsheet (for greatest precision) or a calculator process (for reasonable precision). A number of ways of approaching this problem as a class activity are provided.

Tossing a fair coin 1000 times can have an unexpected result. In the activities presented here, players keep track of the accumulated total for heads and tails after each toss, noting which player is in the lead or whether the players are tied. The winner is the player who was in the lead for the higher number of turns over the course of the game.…

This document presents a review of evidence commissioned by the Education Endowment Foundation to inform the guidance document "Improving Mathematics in Key Stages Two and Three" (Education Endowment Foundation, 2017). The review draws on a substantial parallel study by the same research team, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, which…

Simulation is an important learning tool that allows students to grasp probability concepts, especially when the actual scenario does not need to be replicated entirely. In the cases of tossing coins and rolling dice, gathering the data before analyzing them can be laborious and might be a waste of precious class time--time that might be better…

Student access to programmable calculators and computer terminals, coupled with a familiarity with baseball, provides opportunities to enhance their understanding of the binomial distribution and other aspects of analysis. (MP)

A pivotal theorem which is of critical importance to statistical inference in probability and statistics is the Central Limit Theorem (CLT). The theorem concerns the sampling distribution of random samples taken from a population, including population distributions that do not have to be normal distributions. This paper contains a brief history of…

Some examples of typical nonrelevant textbook problems on probability are followed by more complex problems pulled from the real world. The resource used in this report is Newsweek magazine; and is used to help demonstrate that from the very beginning, lessons on conditional probability can have relevance. (MP)

This annotated bibliography includes activities with calculators in the areas of computational skills, geometry, measurement, number pattern recognition, and probability. (MK)

Features activities for advanced second-year algebra students in grades 11 and 12. Introduces three random variables and considers an empirical and theoretical probability for each. Uses coins, regular dice, decahedral dice, and calculators. (ASK)

Eighteen research reports related to mathematics education are abstracted and analyzed. Four of the reports deal with aspects of learning theory, five with topics in mathematics instruction (history of mathematics, exponents, probability, calculus, and calculators), four with teacher characteristics, and one each with testing, student interests,…

Proposes lotto games as a source of problems and exercises for classroom activities as well as applications of basic probability concepts in a practical setting which leads to a greater understanding of the remote chance anyone has of winning a lottery game. (KHR)

This book is written to answer commonly asked homework questions of fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. Included are facts, charts, definitions, explanations, examples, and illustrations. Topics include ancient number systems; decimal system; math symbols; addition; subtraction; multiplication; division; fractions; estimation; averages; properties;…

Presents activities utilized with primary teachers to alleviate instructional concerns about using calculators and provide reasons for using calculators in their mathematics instruction. Activities address the topics of estimation, number sense, numeration, whole number and fraction operations, probability, and problem solving. (MDH)

Describes the Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP), a four-year program of problem-based mathematics that integrates algebra, geometry, and trigonometry with additional topics, such as probability and statistics, and uses calculator and computer technology to enhance student understanding. (MKR)

Demonstrates the use of graphing technology to help students develop and interpret three models of jury behavior and explore the potential effect of such actions as changing jury size. MathCAD, an electronic notebook was used. (Contains 10 references.) (MKR)