Mathematics / Year 6 / Statistics and Probability / Chance

Curriculum content descriptions

Conduct chance experiments with both small and large numbers of trials using appropriate digital technologies (ACMSP145)

Elaborations
  • conducting repeated trials of chance experiments, identifying the variation between trials and realising that the results tend to the prediction with larger numbers of trials
General capabilities
  • Numeracy Numeracy
  • ICT capability Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capability
ScOT terms

Sampling (Statistics)

Video

Catalyst: Probability and the birthday paradox

Even when a maths problem seems simple – for example, the chance of two people sharing a birthday – the maths can run counter to our human intuition. Mathematician Lily Serna poses a maths problem to the Clovelly Bowling Club: how many people do you need to gather to get a 50 per cent chance of any two people in that group ...

Video

Can We Help Same birthday whats the chance video

Mathematician Adam Spencer answers a question about something called the 'birthday paradox'. Find out what this has to do with birthdays and the number of people in a room.

Interactive

Mystery spinner: challenge

Look at results in a frequency graph compiled after testing an unseen spinner. Work out the likely proportions of colours in the mystery spinner. Use a tool to build a new spinner (a dial with a pointer). Choose up to five equal-sized sectors. Fill the sectors with up to five colours. For example, make a five-part spinner ...

Online

reSolve: Probability - Rock Paper Scissors

In this sequence of two lessons, students determine their chances of winning the game 'rock paper scissors', then test their chances by playing against another player and in a simulated game. Students look at the psychological aspect of the game and recognise that there is a strategy to increase your chance of winning. ...

Online

reSolve: Probability

This sequence of four lessons explores probability in real world situations including advertising, games and population sampling. Students calculate probabilities, represent probabilities as fractions, decimals and percentages, perform chance experiments with small and large sample sizes and graph their results, examine ...

Text

Work sample Year 6 Mathematics: Interpreting and comparing data

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Year 6 Mathematics. The primary purpose for the work sample is to demonstrate the standard, so the focus is on what is evident in the sample not how it was created. The sample is an authentic representation ...

Downloadable

Loaded dice

Students conduct chance experiments, record data into a frequency table and represent data using a column graph.

Online

Interpret and compare data displays: Year 6 – planning tool

This planning resource for Year 6 is for the topic of Interpret and compare data displays. Students interpret and compare datasets using different data displays and visualisations.

Interactive

Sites2See: Spreadsheets for mathematics

A page with example resources, exemplars and advice to help integrate spreadsheet use in teaching and learning for mathematics. Includes suggestions for use, tutorials and information on research and benefits, plus links to a range of related resources, including a teacher guide for using Microsoft Excel in the classroom. ...

Text

ACMF: Effects of selective breeding

This resource is a web page providing information about an experiment on the growth rate of different chicken breeds carried out by students at James Ruse Agricultural High School in NSW, which shows the influence of selective breeding on chicken weight. It includes a side-by-side column graph comparing the weight of egg ...

Online

TIMES Module 4: Statistics and Probability: data investigation and interpretation, year 6 - teacher guide

This is a 23-page guide for teachers. This module uses a number of examples to illustrate different types of data and develop the statistical data investigation process. It suggests the following steps: considering the initial questions that motivate an investigation; identifying issues; planning, collecting, handling and ...

Online

The First Fleet - dataset collections

The dataset provides information about 780 of the convicts transported to Australia on the First Fleet ships 'Alexander', 'Charlotte', 'Lady Penrhyn', 'Friendship', 'Prince of Wales' and 'Scarborough' in 1788. The dataset includes information on items such as the convict's name, occupation, crime, date of trial and term ...

Interactive

Leisure survey

Explore how kids use their leisure time. Choose questions to ask in a survey. For example, look at the percentages of kids that play tennis, basketball or netball. Examine a table of results. Sort the data and use it to answer questions. Display the results using a suitable type of graph such as a pie chart, bar graph or ...

Online

reSolve: Scrabble Stats

This sequence of lessons invites students to collect data about letter frequency in a variety of text sources. They use their findings to critically evaluate letter point values in Scrabble, compare them to historical values, create their own themed Scrabble point values and to decipher an encoded excerpt of text. Each ...

Online

reSolve: Reconciliation data

This lesson prompts students to examine data from the Reconciliation Barometer report, collect their own local data and compare with the national findings. Students discuss the meaning of reconciliation, explore statements from Reconciliation Barometer report, design a survey to collect local data relating to the statements ...

Online

Australia's population: countries of birth - dataset

The dataset provides statistics about the estimated resident population, median age and sex ratio by countries of birth for the latest year of available data. It is periodically updated by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The dataset is included in the list of related datasets on the page in MS Excel format.

Online

Australian Historical Population Statistics to 2014 - dataset

The dataset provides statistics about the population of Australia in terms of age and sex from 1901 to 2014. It is made available by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The dataset is in MS Excel format.

Online

Secondary mathematics: using real data

These seven learning activities, which focus on the use of 'real data' using a variety of tools (software) and devices (hardware), illustrate the ways in which content, pedagogy and technology can be successfully and effectively integrated in order to promote learning. In the activities, teachers use the three content strands ...

Interactive

The foul food maker: questions 1

Use a vending machine to get an awful meal such as fly soup, worm pasta or yucky duck. The machine serves a meal randomly from four slots. Work out the likelihood of getting each type of meal. Then choose a matching probability word: impossible, unlikely, equal, likely or certain. Run simple probability experiments. Compare ...

Online

Push your luck

This teaching resource outlines an introductory activity for students involving rolling two dice multiple times, adding the numerical value shown on the faces and recording the outcome using a tally sheet. The resource could be used by teachers to plan a class activity, or for students to carry out at home. The resource ...