Math Journal: Experimental Probability with Two Independent Events

Math Journal: Experimental Probability with Two Independent Events

This resource serves as a helpful teaching tool for educators focusing on the concepts of experimental probability and theoretical probability of two independent events in middle school mathematics. It offers an engaging math journal entry exercise that allows students to explain their mathematical thinking in pictures, numbers, diagrams, and words.

How to Use:

Students are given the following question:

You have a six-sided die and a penny. If you roll the die twice and flip the penny twice, which is more likely: to get two sixes on the die or two heads from the penny?

Explain your thinking using pictures, numbers, and words. Can you figure out the percentage chance of each event happening?

Give students dice, coins, and mini whiteboards to work with so they can start to test out their ideas and theories. Encourage students to tackle the penny first as there are fewer results when flipping two coins. Suggest that students work together in pairs or small groups and use a table or chart to record the experimental options that could occur.

You may want to start by teaching a mini-lesson about the probability of two independent events: that one multiplies the probability of each event to determine the probability of BOTH events.

Grades to Use With

This resource is ideal for use with students in grades 5-9 but can also be used as special education material or enrichment content for gifted children aged between grades 4-6. Finally, it could be used in a high school special education classroom.

What's Included:

This two page PDF is ready to print and go!

If you enjoy this math journal entry, check out my bundle of 20 Middle School Math Journal Entries or my Math Journal Rubric for easy marking.

Or, explore other probability items in my store.