7th Game Simulations

7th grades love probability because they get to use to to design their own games as a culminating activity for our probability unit.

 In this photo, a student is recording the results of a fantasy basketball game between two of her classmates. In order to play this game, two players were generated with probabilities for specific types of shots that favored one player for three point shots and the other for two point shots.

We then made a spinner that would represent these probabilities using geometer's sketchpad. We added a button to randomly spin so that we could decided if the player would "hit" or miss a specific shot.

The game lasted for ten shots, and was won by a single point. The students cheered and argued but largely had a good time.

The following day, the students broke into smaller groups to build them own games. Some students decided to collect data on their own shooting to make a realistic basketball game. the photo below illustrates a student taken a shot in the data collection phase.

In this photo, some students are using a netbook to make the spinners in geometer's sketchpad based on their results.

Other students decided to experience a disease simulation using starlogo. These students are expected to learn how to use the simulation over six guided activities. Then, the students will conduct some internet research using a website such as the CDC or NIH to simulate the spread of a disease of their choice. Past choices have included smallpox and H1N1.