Florida B.E.S.T. MA.912.DP.6.8
The Standard
Apply probabilities to make fair decisions, such as drawing from lots or using a random number generator.
Florida B.E.S.T. Standards for Mathematics
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students examine random selection methods and decide whether every person or option has an equal chance. They calculate probabilities, justify whether a method is fair, and adjust unfair methods.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students calculate the probability assigned to each person or option. They identify unfair procedures, explain the imbalance with numbers, and revise the procedure so chances are equal.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may assume a method is fair just because it is random. They may overlook unequal sample spaces, repeated entries, or biased procedures that give some outcomes better chances.
How to Assess It
- Give four students 1, 1, 2, and 3 entries in a drawing. Ask whether the drawing is fair, require each probability, and request one fair revision.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Place unequal numbers of colored counters in a bag, run 30 draws with replacement, and compare experimental results with calculated probabilities.
Ask students to compare choosing a class leader by one name per student versus one ticket per completed assignment, then defend which method is fair.
Give teams selection-method cards to sort into fair or unfair piles, earning a point only when their probability calculations support the choice.
Design a fair random process for assigning limited parking spaces, tournament starting positions, or presentation order, then explain each participant's chance.
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Related Standards
- MA.912.DP.6
Use probability distributions to solve problems.
- MA.8.DP.2.3
Solve real-world problems involving probabilities related to single or repeated experiments, including making predictions based on theoretical probability.
- MA.912.LT.3
Apply techniques from Election Theory and Fair Division Theory to solve problems.
- MA.912.DP.6.7
Weigh the possible outcomes of a decision by assigning probabilities to payoff values and finding expected values and standard deviations. Evaluate and compare ...
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