How to Do Probability Problems in Eighth Grade Math

Probability problems include creating and identifying graphical data.

There are roughly seven different parts to teaching probability and data analysis problems in eighth grade math according to the current implementations. While every state sets different standards on its elementary school expectations, most eighth grade probability lessons follow a similar curriculum. Probability and data analysis includes, but is not limited to, forming a hypothesis and testing it, finding the mean and median of numerical data, and compiling and understanding graphs.

Things You'll Need

• State-specific curriculum information

Instructions

1. Identify a sample to test a hypothesis. Students will collect and analyze data to form a hypothesis. The hypothesis will then be tested for accuracy. An example of a lesson for this is finding out the dominant eye color in the classroom. Students can collect data about family members' eye colors and make an educated hypothesis based on their findings.

2. Interpret graphical representations of data. Students will learn to interpret data from such graphic representations, such as bar graphs, line graphs, histograms, box plots, and scatter plots. An example of introducing this data would be to have students collect data about which classmates own certain types of pets and compile the data into a bar graph.

3. Identify the mean and median of real data. Students will learn how to find the average or mean of given data, as well as the median or middle. A possible lesson for this would be determining which basketball player has the highest average amount of points scored per game by dividing the total number of points by the total number of games played.

4. Identify and connect data sets to graphical representations. Once students learn to create graphs from data they have collected, matching data sets to graphs should come easily. Students should be able to connect sets of data to line graphs, bar graphs, and pie charts among other types of graphs.

5. Make predictions based on data. Students will collect data and create a hypothesis based on their research. For example, students can take note of the menu in their school lunchroom. Perhaps mashed potatoes were served Monday but not Tuesday or Wednesday. They were last served on the Wednesday before that and the Friday before that. Ask students to figure out when mashed potatoes will be served again.

6. Connect symbolic representation of probability to an experiment. Students will collect and analyze data and determine probability in a given experiment. A possible experiment for this could be flipping a coin. Students might assume that flipping a coin results in a 50:50 outcome, but experimenting with different types of coins might yield different results.

7. Recognize misleading representations of data. Students will learn how graphs can misrepresent data and make things appear to be different than they really are. An example of this would be increasing or decreasing the scales on a given graph.

References

• Internet4Classrooms.com