Probabilities for Sum of Two Dice

In Math 7 we recently experimented with the sum of two dice and explored theoretical and experimental probabilities. I collaborated with my colleague, Mrs. Owins, and we used the following handouts to guide the discussion and experiment. Most of the students incorrectly predicted the sum with the highest probability prior to the discussion and experiment. Hopefully, they have cleared up the misconception all sums have an equal chance of occurring or that larger sums occur more often.

The students enjoyed the interactive dice from the SmartBoard Gallery. Here's a link to some interactive dice online that will also graph the data as you roll. Mrs. Owins and I also had our classes record their group data in an Excel spreadsheet so the students could see how the number of rolls affects the closeness of theoretical and experimental probabilities.

I've since discovered this wonderful site at Mathwire.com which also has activity sheets and resource links for the sum of two dice experiment. But more importantly, this site has some interesting two-dice games students can play to sharpen their understanding of the probabilities involved.

For students wanting to expand their knowledge of probabilities involving two-dice, I recommend the site developed by Jo Edkins--you can find many other fun things on this site as well.