Virginia SOL 7.PS.1.a
The Standard
Determine the theoretical probability of an event.
Virginia Standards of Learning for Mathematics · The student will use statistical investigation to determine the probability of an event and investigate and describe the difference between the experimental and theoretical probability.
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students identify all equally likely outcomes for a situation and count the outcomes that meet a given condition. They express the probability as favorable outcomes over total outcomes.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students list all possible outcomes without missing or repeating any. They identify favorable outcomes, write the correct ratio, and simplify it as a fraction, decimal, or percent.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may reverse the ratio and divide total outcomes by favorable outcomes. They may also assume listed outcomes are equally likely, or miss outcomes in a two-step sample space.
How to Assess It
- Show a spinner with eight equal sections, three blue, two red, and three green. Ask students to find the probability of not landing on blue and explain their ratio.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Arrange outcome cards for two coin tosses, then use the complete sample space to calculate the probability of getting exactly one head.
Ask, “Is rolling a sum of 6 as likely as rolling a sum of 7?” Students list outcomes and defend their answers.
Play Probability Match by pairing event cards with sample spaces and probability cards, then checking each set with a partner.
Analyze a carnival spinner and calculate whether each prize section makes the game fair for the player and operator.
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Printable 7.PS.1.a Worksheet
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Related Standards
- 7.PS.1.b
Given the results of a statistical investigation, determine the experimental probability of an event.
- 7.PS.1.d
Investigate and describe the difference between the probability of an event found through experiment or simulation versus the theoretical probability of that sa...
- 7.PS.1
The student will use statistical investigation to determine the probability of an event and investigate and describe the difference between the experimental and...
- 8.PS.1.c
Determine the probability of two independent events.
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