Introduction to Probability

Week 10: October 27

MATH 317/ELMA 517 ~ Probability and Statistics for Teachers ~ Fall 2003

Class meeting schedule and topics

Monday, October 27 ~	Probability
Monday, November 3 ~	Expected value and fair games
Monday, November 10 ~	Simulation

Homework Assignments

9. Due Monday, November 3

   Required work

   1. Read Book 2 Investigation 12 "You Look Marble-ous!"
      Book 2 Investigation 13 "Is Brian's Game Fair?"
      and Book 2 Investigation 14 "Quiz Busters"

   2. Complete the "Quantifying Uncertainty" assignment. (www.math.iup.edu/~tshort/handouts/quantifying_uncertainty.html)

   3. Visit the "Probability by Surprise" assignment. (www-stat.stanford.edu/~susan/surprise/)

      Explore one of the "Experimenting Paradoxes - Applets" links. (Be sure that you are using a Java-enabled browser.)

      Write down questions that could be used in a lesson built around the applet you choose to explore. Write down answers to the questions in as much detail as you can provide.

   Optional work

   • Repeat part (c) above for another applet.

10. Due Monday, November 10

    Required work

    1. Read Book 1 Investigation 12 "The World at Your Fingertips,"
       Book 1 Investigation 13 "Mystery Spinners"

    2. Develop a two-player game using dice, coins, cards, or some other readily available manipulative.

       Describe the rules of the game in sufficient detail for another person to understand how the game is played.

       Determine whether the game is "fair" or not by by analyzing the probabilities of the events in the game.

       If possible, modify your game so that it is "fair" to both players.

    Optional work

    • Repeat part (b) for another game, or for an existing game.