Classroom Activities: Basic Probability

These classroom activities are designed to complement the Basic Probability topic on BrainPOP Jr.

Weather Forecast

What will the weather be like today? Together as a class, review different weather forecasts. Use different forecasts from the Internet, newspaper, radio, and news programs on television. You may want to research the weather from the same date in previous years. Then, test their predictions. Have students measure the temperature everyday and record their observations of the weather. You can make a rain or snow gauge by placing a plastic ruler in a clear cup and leaving it in an open space. How accurate were the forecasts?

Toss a Coin

Remind your classroom that it is equally likely for a coin to land on heads or tails. Have small groups or pairs toss a coin one hundred times. Have them make a tally chart to record their results. After the tenth, fiftieth, and seventy-fifth tosses, have your students assess how the results have changed. Did their coin land on heads or tails the same number of times? Why might tossing the coin over a thousand times get a more accurate result?