Inventory of “Big Ideas”
(Vital Understandings) in Mathematics

1.

Can my students determine why some outcomes are more likely than others?

• Can I estimate the likelihood of future events on a scale?

• Can I determine the probability of two independent events?

Example Grade K-3:

Can you be sure you will eat an egg tomorrow?  That the sun will come up?  That your baby sister will cry?  Why or why not?

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Example Grade 3-4:

Estimate the likelihood of future events on this scale.

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All our classmates will be here tomorrow.

A live elephant will visit our classroom this year.

It will rain tomorrow.

It will rain this year.

I will drink some milk today.

Example Grade 5-6:

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If you spin this spinner ten times,  which color do you think will come up most?  Why?  Try it and see.  Did red come up most times for everyone in the class?  Why or why not?  Can you change the spinner so that red will not come up more than the other colors?

What are all the possible outcomes if you roll two dice and add the numbers shown on the dice?  Use a list and a table to show all the possibilities.

Example Grade 7-8:

The cycle for the traffic light on Main Street is green for 90 seconds, yellow for 3 seconds, and red for 12 seconds.  What is the probability of having to stop at the traffic light?

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