Research Ideas

 

Mathematics (funded by SSHRC + Fields)

  1. Infinity in my hand (gr. 3: fractions, infinity, limit)
  2. Making sums of 10 (gr. 3-4: patterning, linear functions)
  3. How to fence a pen (gr. 2-4: area, perimeter, optimization)
  4. Where parallel lines meet (gr. 2: geometry of a sphere)
  5. Probability race (gr. 2-4: probability with dice)
  6. Odds and evens (gr. 2, 7: growth patterns, odds, evens)
  7. Low floor, high ceiling (big ideas for young mathematicians)
  8. I don't like math anymore (I love it now! - math-for-teachers)
  9. Math performance (what did you do in math today?)
  10. Research performance (arts-informed research dissemination)
Mathematics (funded by KNAER)
  1. How much is a billion? (gr. 3: Fermi questions, social justice)
  2. Math pattern trains (gr. 1-4: growth patterns, slope, linear functions)
  3. Math waves around us (gr. 3-4: patterning, trigonometry)
Science
  1. Cough, cough (gr. 4: pollution, social justice)
  2. Eating plastic (gr. 3-4: the great plastic dump, social justice)
  3. Refraction action (gr. 2-3: refraction)
  4. Will it float, will it sink? (gr. 2-3: density, buoyancy)
  5. Gravity's pull (gr. 2-3: gravity, density)
Peter Jaffe on violence & abuse
  1. Never met a happy bully (bullying and breaking the silence)
  2. The lizard in your brain (violence in the media)

 

Feedback

"The research ideas website is SO awesome. I had a Teacher Candidate in my school looking for probability ideas. I was able to give her the link to watch the lessons, print her the lesson plans and give her the story. She's going to blow away her mentor!"

 

 

 

 

 


 

Probability Race

In this activity grades 2-4 students explore probability with 1 and 2 dice.

Their ideas are used to create and perform 2 songs that celebrate their learning.

See their song performances in Part 5 (grade 2) and Part 6 (grade 3) below.

Download a professional recording of the grade 3 song (mp3).

Resources to support this activity

Lesson plan Materials
  • 6-sided dice
  • other dice (8 sides, 12 sides, etc.)
  • base 10 unit cubes or linking cubes (to create physical bar graphs of probability outcomes)
  • grid paper (to create bar graphs of probability outcomes)
  • dice explorations game (play after the activity)
  • lost socks story and exploration (read and explore after the activity)
Children's literature

1. "Probability race" in Grades 2-4

1 - Using 1 number cube

Grade 4 students guess then conduct a "probability race" to check which number would come up most often when rolling a single number cube.

2 - Using 2 number cubes in a story setting

Grade 4 students read the story Tortoise and Hare Hop to the Pond - The Rematch and conduct a "probability race" to check which sum would come up most often when rolling two number cubes.

3 - Considering possible outcomes

Grade 4 students consider why some sums are more likely to occur when rolling two number cubes by considring all prossible outcomes.

4 - Using different dice

Grade 4 students explore probability outcomes with different sided dice.

5 - Grade 2 students sharing their learning through song

Math Race

What did you do in math today?
We did a math race.
What did you do in math today?
And tell me, How does it work?

Numbers On a racing grid
We have 1 to 12.
We roll two dice, and add the numbers
Which sum will win?

Will it be 1, 7 or 12?
I think 12 will win (It’s the Biggest)
But how many ways……….to make 12?
Only 6+6

Or maybe 1, because it’s first
But how many ways to make 1?
There’s no way……. To make one
That means theres none

 

It must be 7,
1+6,
6+1,
2+5,
5+2,
3+4
and 4+3
That’s six ways!!!!!!!!

What did you do in math today?
I learned that some ways of winning
Are by thinking and not by luck
… by thinking and not by luck

 Grade 2 students perform their song "Math race." Their math performance was also shared at the Math Performance Festival.

6 - Grade 3/4 students sharing their learning through song

The Rematch

Hare was sad
and he was mad
to lose the race
to Tortoise's slow pace

a rematch he demanded
and Tortoise suggested
a hopping race
at a brisk pace

it will be nice
to roll two dice
and hop a hop
each time our sum is up

12 chose Hare
with a confident flair
it's the biggest sum
with more ways to win

Tortoise picked 7
not 1 or 11
and they rolled the dice
to start the race

Tortoise picked 7
not 1 or 11
and they rolled the dice
to start the race

rolling two dice seems random
but they work in tandem
to make a neat pattern
that's easy to learn

they discovered
good thinking
and not good luck
wins the hopping race

what about you Mom
what would you do
would you pick 12
or 1 or 7?

 

it would assist
to make a list
of all the ways
to make each sum

or a probability test
a number contest
to see which sum
might win the race

what about you Mom
what would you do
would you pick 12
or 1 or 7?

rolling two dice seems random
but they work in tandem
to make a neat pattern
that's easy to learn

you'll discover
good thinking
and not good luck
wins the hopping race

thanks for sharing son
this is lots of fun
lot's of creativity
with a math story

I made a list
I could not resist
I used a grid
the outcomes make a pyramid

rolling two dice seems random
but they work in tandem
to make a neat pattern
that's easy to learn

I've discovered
good thinking
and not good luck
wins the hopping race

 Grade 3/4 students perform their song "The rematch ." Their math performance was also shared at the Math Performance Festival.

2. Seeing "Probability race " through art

1. Let's paint a math story!

Below is an artistic representation of "Probability race." Artistically rendered by Ann Langeman (Faculty of Education, UWO). Designed by George Gadanidis. You can see this painting at Jack Miner P.S., DDSB, Whitby, Ontario.