Probability Bingo

Foam Counting Blocks to Make Dice (From Dollar Tree)

Over Thanksgiving Break, I picked upwards some foam counting blocks from Dollar Tree for $1.  I don't recall where I saw the thought originally, but someone had suggested that these endure purchased too used to brand your ain dice.  They've been sitting nether my podium, simply waiting to endure used.

I'm non positive if I always truly blogged virtually it, but I attended an AP Summer Institute for AP Statistics this summertime at The University of Tulsa (my alma mater) amongst Dave Ferris.  Dave is an AP Stats instructor inwards Noblesville, IN.  He has a website that is chock total of stats resources.  This is my get-go fourth dimension to always instruct statistics, then I possess got referenced it frequently.

My statistics students possess got been working truly difficult since nosotros came dorsum from Christmas Break.  We've been dealing amongst the probability of random variables.  I was inwards the mood to postpone the adjacent department inwards our textbooks past times doing a fun, thought-provoking activity.  (Don't worry.  This is a non-AP stats class.)  

On Dave's probability resources page, I flora a file called "Probability Bingo."  I opened the file, too I was forthwith intrigued.  (By the way, the file gives credit to Brian Mehmed, 2011 WV APSI.)  

Here are the instructions at the give of the bingo card:

Each of 2 popular off has colored faces, iii green, 2 blueish too 1 red. The 2 die volition endure rolled. The outcome volition endure considered to endure ane “bingo call.” If you lot possess got this outcome on your bingo card, grade it off. The winner volition endure the educatee who gets a bingo carte du jour completely marked off (all 25 squares). Mark each foursquare on your bingo carte du jour (use BG for “blue green,” BB for “blue blue,” etc.) then that you lot possess got the best adventure of winning.

Probability Bingo Dice

Two of my students volunteered to brand the necessary die for this activity.  At first, they colored the sides of the foam cubes.  But, the colors were difficult to differentiate since the foam was orangish underneath.  I suggested that they possess got a sharpie too write the get-go missive of the alphabet of the elevate of the color on each human face upwards of the die.  They decided nosotros should possess got simply done that inwards the get-go place.  

After the die were made, I handed out blank bingo cards (two-sided) to my students.  We discussed how the die were made, too they got to locomote filling out their bingo cards.  I decided I wanted to play along.  I speedily calculated the probability of each combination of colors.  I multiplied each probability past times the 25 bingo squares to determine how many squares I should label amongst each color.  I had ane foursquare left at the end, then I went ahead too labeled it RR fifty-fifty though the probability of rolling a RR is about 0.03.  

The students took turns rolling the 2 dice.  With each roll, nosotros marked off the combination once.  This is non your typical bingo game.  You're non looking for v inwards a row.  You're looking to endure the get-go to produce total upwards your entire bingo card.  At first, I was off to a proficient start.  With every roll, I got to grade off a square.

Probability Bingo Card - Game 1 (Beginning)

Then, the night fourth dimension began.  I speedily ran out of Blue/Green squares.  So, did my students.  We all agreed that nosotros should possess got seat to a greater extent than Blue/Green squares on our bingo cards.  The GG combination was non rolled every bit much every bit I would possess got liked.

Probability Bingo Card - Game 1 (Middle)

I didn't possess got a pic of it, but I sat for a long fourth dimension amongst alone my RR foursquare unmarked.  I wasn't the alone someone waiting for an RR.  Eventually, an RR was rolled, too I won!  

Probability Bingo Card - Game 1 (End)

My students forthwith wanted to play again.  I had anticipated this, thus the double-sided bingo cards.  Based on our get-go circular of bingo, my students railroad train out to produce a meliorate bingo card.  One of my students decided to calculate the probability similar I had.  She accidentally left the BB combination off of her card.  She was non happy virtually this!

Just for fun, I decided to locomote out my carte du jour precisely the same since I had won the get-go round.  Here's the start of Round 2.

Probability Bingo Card - Game 2 (Beginning)

Pretty soon, history repeated itself.  Once again, I flora myself waiting too waiting too waiting for RR.

Probability Bingo Card - Game 2 (End)

That Red/Red combination never came because some other educatee filled upwards her carte du jour first.  The moral of the story?  If there's alone a 3% adventure that something volition endure rolled, don't seat it on your bingo card.

In gild to give my students a flat for the day, I asked them to calculate the probability of rolling each color combination.  Then, they had to critique the strategy of designing your carte du jour to reverberate these probabilities.

Colored Dice Probabilities 

I would definitely recommend this activity!  It was thought-provoking too fun.  If fourth dimension allows, I would beloved to play this amongst my Algebra 1 students when nosotros review probability for the EOI.

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