Launch Event
Anchoring Experience
To launch the unit, the instructor will begin with an interactive lecture centered around the game of Poker. The instructor will go over the basic rules of the game using a deck of cards and a doc cam or, better yet, have a student who is familiar with the game go to the front of the classroom and explain to his or her peers. Then the instructor will pass out quarter sheets of paper to each student with the types of Poker hands printed on them (see pokerhands.pdf). Once the students have a general sense of how the game works the instructor will play a video of one hand of a Poker Series game where each player’s cards and the probability of winning is displayed. Before the dealer deals the next card the instructor will pause the video and ask students to take a minute to discuss who has the higher probability of winning. The class will discuss and the instructor will continue the video. This will repeat until the winner is revealed.
To launch the unit, the instructor will begin with an interactive lecture centered around the game of Poker. The instructor will go over the basic rules of the game using a deck of cards and a doc cam or, better yet, have a student who is familiar with the game go to the front of the classroom and explain to his or her peers. Then the instructor will pass out quarter sheets of paper to each student with the types of Poker hands printed on them (see pokerhands.pdf). Once the students have a general sense of how the game works the instructor will play a video of one hand of a Poker Series game where each player’s cards and the probability of winning is displayed. Before the dealer deals the next card the instructor will pause the video and ask students to take a minute to discuss who has the higher probability of winning. The class will discuss and the instructor will continue the video. This will repeat until the winner is revealed.
Driving Question
After the anchoring event, the class will brainstorm other games that involve probability which will lead into the driving question:
How can we employ the use of probability and statistics to create a family game to present to Hasbro?
Launch Letter
The CEO of Hasbro Inc., which is the company that created Connect 4, Twister, Guess Who?, and more, has requested designs for a new original game to be ready to launch in 2016 (see launchletter.pdf). Students will work in design teams of 2-3 to design a board game, card game, dice game, or something of the like that involves probability and statistics. The final artifact will include a prototype of the game, a rule book, and an “Insider’s Guide."
pokerhands.pdf | |
File Size: | 112 kb |
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launchletter.pdf | |
File Size: | 154 kb |
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Calendar
This is a 5-week unit that is split up into sections by weeks:
- Week 1-2: Probability in games
- Week 3: Game Theory
- Week 4: Experimental Design
- Week 5: Testing & Polishing Artifact