family math night
TRANSCRIPT
Family Math Night
Sarah Byce, Katherine Layne, Jazmin McMullen
Part I: Activity Details
For our Family Math Night activity, we will help students understand and have fun with
probability by exploring with colors and spinners. We will have three large spinners for the
students to watch. These spinners will be used to help the students fill out their worksheets
(*Attached). This activity will be engaging and exciting for parents and students because it is
very hands-on and fun to learn about. This activity involves bright colors to draw students
attention. For some of the younger students they may have yet to learn about probability so
our activity will offer something new, and hopefully fun for them to get a jump-start on.
Students will also have fun guessing what color the pointer will land on next. They will be
more than excited when they get the answers correct, especially because probability is based
on chance. Once they have completed the activity and gotten our stamp of approval, students
will be given a Ziploc bag full of materials to take home and make their own spinner. This way,
the students are able to practice and play with probability with their families.
For Kindergarten and 1st grade students, their circle will be split into 3 segmented areas and
each segment will be a different color and different size. By making them drastically different
sizes, we believe it will be easier for students to understand probability concepts. For our
project we are looking for students to understand, the larger or more of an object compared to
the others, the more likely to be chosen. Students in grades 2 and 3 will be working with
another spinner; their spinner will be split into 7 different size segments, colored separately,
and each segment will be numbered this time, to add to the concepts. For 2nd and 3rd graders,
probability is still relatively new, so we made different sizes again to develop the concepts
stated above. Adding the numbers also gives another factor, fractions. The numbers were
placed randomly on segments and students were asked to predict what number the spinner
would land on the least. We were hoping students would add the segments together to realize,
for example, there might only be one “2” segment on the circle, but when adding the two “3”
wedges they are still smaller than the one “2” wedge, so they should expect the spinner to land
on one of the “3” segments the least. Finally, students in the 4th and 5th grades will be
learning with a circle with 8 segments of the same size, and those will be different colors and
numbered as well. For the older kids, their circle, of 8 segments, will be the same width to
make it more challenging for them. By now students will have been introduced to probability
and some of the concepts, so by making them the same size wedges we are hoping to solidify
how the amount or size of the object affects how often it is chosen.
Since there are three of us in our group, each of us will be in charge of one spinner and be
helping out the corresponding age group. We will be spinning the large spinners for the
students. While we are doing so the students will be filling out their grade specific worksheets.
The worksheets will include a prediction section, a tally box for them to record the data, as well
as some questions to answer when they are done.
Before beginning this activity, students will need to understand probability, or at least have
an idea of the concepts. They will also need to know a little bit about fractions and ratios to
help them answer questions correctly. Ratios will also help them to understand better about
how the probability wheel works. If students are unsure of what we are doing, we will simplify
the concepts. For example, we could ask them, “If we have a bag of six blue and four red
marbles, which color are we more likely to pick out?”
Based on the information given, we believe students in 3rd, 4th or 5th grades would be
more apt to understand this activity. This is because, by this age they will have started working
on the concept of probability, so the activity will be easier for them to pick up on. Even though
K-2 will not have had experience with probability in the classroom, with a little guidance they
should not have any problem picking up on the idea.
Part II: Standards & Modifications
Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Mathematics:
3.NF.1: Number and Operations – Fractions
- Understand a fraction 1
𝑏 as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is
partitioned into b equal parts
- Understand a fraction 𝑎
𝑏 as the quantity formed by a parts of size
1
𝑏
This CCSS aligns with our activity because our spinners have wedges that are fractions
of the whole circle and we are trying to get students to understand that in a fun,
colorful way. For our students we want them to understand a bigger slice, or
fractions, results in a greater chance of being chosen. For many of the students we
worked with they were able to understand quickly the concept of a larger piece of the
circle created a larger area to land on.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Process Standards
Representation
This process standard describes representation as the need for alternate ways of
demonstrating math is crucial for understanding. We believe this fits our activity best
because we are incorporating the idea of fractions into our project as well as
probability. Each section of the spinner represents part of the whole and therefore is
a fraction of the piece. This is another way for students to see how fractions work.
Common Core Standards of Practice
Model with Mathematics
This standard of practice is described as being able to apply the math concepts they
already know to everyday-life. Younger students will be able to apply what they learn
in our activity such as the larger the amount of one object the more likely it is to
occur, as well as everything is based on chance when thinking about probability, to
their assignments in high school. Once they graduate they can use the concepts of
probability and ratios to the real world. For example, probability is used in sports,
when determining the likelihood one team will beat another based on previous
statistics; and even the weather, the weather channel has very much to do with
probability, they tell you how probable it is to have rain in the forecast.
Part III: Modifications
Since we will be working with students from Kindergarten through fifth grade, our activity
will need to be adjusted to fit all their needs. For each age group we will have different large
spinners tailored to their education level: Kindergarten and 1st grade will have a spinner with 3
different colored and different size segments; 2nd and 3rd graders will be working with a
spinner with 7 numbered and different color segments of various sizes; and students in 4th and
5th grade will have a spinner with 8 numbered and different color segments of equal size. The
students will also have their own worksheet for their grade level. In K-1 the worksheets will be
fairly simple, they will consist of a tally box and a few questions about why the spinner landed
on a certain color the most. For 2-3 students will also have a number tally box with the color
box and similar questions as K-1. They will additionally have questions about the numbers too.
Their worksheets will also have a conclusion question about what the size of the wedge
determines about probability. Students in 4th and 5th grade will have the same questions as 2-3
but they will have more colors and numbers to work with.
For younger students we have altered the spinner to make the answers more obvious by
making the segments drastically different sizes. And the older students will have a spinner with
equal segments to make predictions more difficult as well as make the students think more
about how probability changes if the segments are equal or different sizes. As previously
stated, each of these differences will help to challenge the students.
Part IV: **Attached
Part V: Data Collection
Question 1 (Mathematical Content): How many students were able to make the
assumption, the larger the wedge the more it will be landed on?
Question 2 (Mathematical Processes): How many students related the spinner wedges to
fractions of the whole spinner?
For both of these questions we will observe how students work out loud through the
questions as well as how they answer the questions on the worksheet to collect data.
Part IV: Data Analysis & Reflection
We had a blast at Family Math Night; it was fun to interact with the students and their
families. We enjoyed working with students on math concepts and furthering their
understanding. We had a lot of 2nd and 3rd graders than other grades. We had very few 4th and
5th grade students. All students seemed to have fun and enjoy learning. The parents that
helped, you could tell were very involved with their child’s learning and they were very
encouraging.
After reviewing the night we determined, according to our content question, most of our
students were able to make the assumption the larger and area the more likely it is the spinner
will land on that wedge. Some of the older kids came into the activity knowing that but some
of the younger students learned that after doing our activity. So we were very glad to see we
were able to reinforce that concept to students. The other question we asked, however, based
on the processes, we did not have any students say, out loud at least, they saw the wedges as a
fraction of the whole spinner. Unfortunately we were not able to see students make that
connection overall as well as apply it to their prediction of what number the spinner would land
on the least as we had hoped. But hopefully they will be able to take that experience and use it
again in their classes when they start learning about it.
We were very prepared for the educational level of students, our questions and spinners
seemed well made for grade levels. If we were to do it again, we would probably have other
examples of probability there, like the marble example. It would have been easier if we had
those there. Other than that everything went smoothly and we only had to do a little
explanation to get them through.
Kindergarten – 1st grade
Oh, The Possibilities! Let’s chat for a minute!
1. When you look at the spinner, what does it remind you of? ___________________________
2. Which color do you think the spinner will land on the most? ______________
3. Are these pieces even? ________ Use the table to fill in, using tally marks, how many times the spinner lands on the specific color. After about 10-15 spins, stop tallying, add up the number of tally’s and enter the number into the “Total” column.
Questions:
1. What color did the spinner land on the most? ____________________
2. Was your guess correct? ________
3. Why do you think it landed on that color the most? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________
2nd grade – 3rd grade
Oh, The Possibilities! Make some predictions before you begin:
1. Look at your spinner, what color do you think the spinner will land on most? ___________________________
2. Does the size of the wedge affect probability? ______________ 3. What number (1, 2, or 3) do you predict the spinner will land on the least?
___________________________________________
Use the table to fill in, using tally marks, how many times the spinner lands on the specific color, also record the number it lands on in the other table. After 20 spins, stop tallying, add up the number of tally’s and enter the number into the “Total” column.
Questions:
1. What color did the spinner land on the most? ____________________
2. Was your guess correct? ________
3. Why do you think it landed on that color the most? ______________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What number did the spinner land on the most? ______________________
5. Was your prediction of the least landed number correct? _____________
6. What does the size of the wedge say about the probability? ____________ ______________________________________________________________________
Black
4th grade – 5thgrade
Oh, The Possibilities! Make some predictions before you begin:
1. Look at your spinner, what color do you think the spinner will land on most? ___________________________
2. Does the size of the wedge affect probability? ______________ 3. What number (1, 2, 3, or 4) do you predict the spinner will land on the
least? ___________________________________________
Use the table to fill in, using tally marks, how many times the spinner lands on the specific color, also record the number it lands on in the other table. After 20 spins, stop tallying, add up the number of tally’s and enter the number into the “Total” column.
4th grade – 5thgrade
Oh, The Possibilities! Questions:
1. What color did the spinner land on the most? ____________________
2. Was your guess correct? __________
3. Why do you think it landed on that color the most? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What number did the spinner land on the most? ______________________
5. Was your prediction of the least landed number correct? _____________
6. What does the size of the wedge teach you? __________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________