Activity Overview
In this activity, students simulate the spread of a disease in a population. They use the Probability Simulation application to learn that certain sums occur more often than others because of combinations of addends of those sums.
Before the Activity
Install the Probability Simulation Application on the calculator using one of these two methods:
- TI Connect™, a TI Connectivity Cable, and the Unit-to-Unit Link Cable
- TI-Navigator™ "send to class" feature
- See the attached PDF file for detailed instructions for this activity
- Print pages 61 - 66 from the attached PDF file for your class
During the Activity
Distribute pages to your class.
Follow the Activity procedures:
Assign random numbers to students
Allow students to move around in a classroom
Note the ID of the student they come in contact with
Start the Probability Simulation Application
Students use the application to simulate the rolling of 2 dice and record the sum
Randomly select an ID that represents the first person to be infected
Randomly select a sum that represents a contagious outcome
Contagiousness is determined by using the simulation to roll 2 dice and recording the sum
Students note down encounters with the infected person and also if the person is contagious
Identify newly infected students
Graph the stage number versus the number of people infected at that stage and observe trends
Observe that in the list of all possible sums of two dice, certain sums are more likely to occur
Understand how more students get infected as the stage number increases
After the Activity
Students will complete the Student Worksheet and answer questions.
Review student results:
As a class, discuss questions that appeared to be more challenging
Re-teach concepts as necessary