CCSS.Math.Content.7.SP.C.8b
The standard
Represent sample spaces for compound events using methods such as organized lists, tables and tree diagrams. For an event described in everyday language (e.g., "rolling double sixes"), identify the outcomes in the sample space which compose the event.
Common Core State Standards for Mathematics
What this standard means
Students need to list all possible outcomes when two or more chance actions happen together. They should use an organized list, table, or tree diagram, and connect plain language events to the exact outcomes that count.
Mastery looks like a complete sample space with no repeats or missing cases. Students can point to which outcomes match phrases like “same color,” “sum of 7,” or “heads then tails.” Common sticking points are double-counting, mixing up order, and listing only the winning outcomes instead of the full sample space first.
Ways to teach it
- Have students use two coins and a number cube to build a tree diagram, then compare it to actual trial results.
- Ask students to write the outcomes for “a spinner lands red and a coin lands tails,” then explain their method.
- Give an exit ticket with one compound event and ask for a table plus circled outcomes that match the event.
- Use a simple lunch choice menu with drink and side options to show how restaurants list all possible meal combinations.
Plan a lesson for CCSS.Math.Content.7.SP.C.8b
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Related standards
- CCSS.Math.Content.7.SP.C.8a
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(+) Define a random variable for a quantity of interest by assigning a numerical value to each event in a sample space; graph the corresponding probability dist...
- CCSS.Math.Content.7.SP.C.8
Find probabilities of compound events using organized lists, tables, tree diagrams, and simulation.