Education Technology


Analyzing Number Cube Sums

Activity Overview

Students extend their understanding of theoretical probability and patterns. They use number cubes, to build awareness that a fraction and its decimal and percent representation on the calculator are "close," but not necessarily equal.

Before the Activity

  • See the attached PDF file for detailed instructions for this activity
  • Print student activity sheet page 121 from the attached PDF for your class
  • During the Activity

    Distribute the page to the class.

    Follow the activity procedures:

  • Roll two number cubes and represent the results as fractions, decimals, and percents
  • Examine the experimental probabilities
  • Record all the ways of rolling two number cubes to get each possible sum of 2 through 12
  • Record the theoretical probability of each sum in fraction, decimal, and percent
  • Understand what the numerator and denominator used in the calculation represent
  • Investigate the sum of all the fractional probabilities, the sum of all the decimal representations, and the sum of all the percents
  • Analyze the results
  • After the Activity

  • Review student results
  • As a class, discuss questions that appeared to be more challenging
  • Re-teach concepts as necessary