Introduction
by Don Couch, Brandman University
This WebQuest is designed to use different colored M&M's to help students with fractions and probability.
Introduction
M&M MATH
Fractions are everywhere, even in your favorite candy!
Your job today is to become an M&M expert!!!
You will be exploring bags of M&M's and using math to see how many of each color are in each bag.
When the Quest is over, you can even eat your M&M's!
Just make sure you wait until you're finished, otherwise your answers will be wrong.
Now let's have some fun with M&M Math!!
Task
Task
Bags of M&M's usually have six different colors in them. Lets meet the gang! They are Mr. Red, Mr. Orange, Mr. Yellow, Ms. Green, Mr. Blue, and Ms. Brown.
Do you think every bag has the same amount of M&M's of each color?
D0 you think there are more of some colors than others in the bags?
Your job is to find out the probability of each color appearing in a bag of M&M's. You will also use fractions to find out how many M&M's of each color are actually in each bag.
LETS GET STARTED!
Process
Process
Before you begin this WebQuest, test your brain with a fun game!
Click on the link below and play on easy. You will get a choice of four fractions. Click on the one that is not equivalent to the others.
If you get stuck raise your hand!
When you finish the game, raise your habd so the teacher can print your score, then staple the printed page to the back of your work sheet.
http://www.funbrain.com/fract/index.html
Each bag of fun-sized M&M’s contains about 20 pieces. Before you begin, make an educated guess of how many M&M’s of each color you think are in your bag, lets say there are 20 M&M’s total. Write your answers as fractions in simplest form on your answer packet for question #1.
Now open your bag and count your M&M's.
REMEMBER WE ARE NOT EATING THEM YET!
Was your guess correct? For #2 on your worksheet, write the actual fractions of each color. Remember, there might be more or less then 20 total M&M's. If you have questions raise your hand!
Write your answers in simplest form.
Click on the link below to go to the online math dictionary. Once you get there, find the probability equation.
HINT! The equation will look like this: porbability =
Write the equation listed in the space provided for #3 in your answer packet.
http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jeather/maths/dictionary.html
After you have written the equation, write the probability of picking each color M&M for #4 in your worksheet.
OK! Now pour your M&M's into a bag, and have your partner pick them out of the bag one at a time, but be sure to put each M&M back in the bag before picking another one. The number of times you pick an M&M out of the bag will depend on the number of M&M's you have total (If you have 20 M&M's, pick 20 times. If you have 21 M&M's, pick 21 times).
Use the table for #5 in your answer packet to tally how many of each color are chosen.
Compare your actual answers to the probability of picking each color. Are the numbers the same? Are they close? Why or why not?
Write your answer in the space for #6 of your worksheet.
FOR MORE FUN!!!!
Create a bar graph showing how many of each color M&M's were in your package.
Be sure to include a title and labels. Set the min value to 0 and the max value to 10. Raise your hand for extra help to get started.
It's the most fun if you try to use colors that match your M&M colors.
When you are done making your graph, print it out and staple it to your worksheet.
http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/graphing/classic/bar.asp
You're almost done!
Answer questions #7 and #8 in your worksheet. Then, when your done raise your hand for the teacher to check your work in your worksheet and turn it in. Remember to print and staple you score from the fraction game and if you did the graph also include that too!
Great Job!
Evaluation
Evaluation
|
|
Beginning 1 |
Developing 2 |
Accomplished 3 |
Exemplary 4 |
Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fraction game |
Fraction game was not played and score was not printed. | Fraction game was played. Score was printed and shows little to no effort was put into game. | Fraction game was played. Score was printed and shows some effort was put into game. | Fraction game was played. Score was printed and shows a considerable amount of effort was put into game. | |
|
Answer packet |
Worksheet is blank or not legible. | Worksheet is partialy complete. | Worksheet is mostly complete and legible | Worksheet is complete, correct, and legible. | |
|
Graph |
Graph is incomplete. |
Graph is complete, but most information is missing. | Graph is complete but some information is missing. | Graph includes all necessary information. | |
|
Participation
|
Student did not participate in the WebQuest. | Student participated in the WebQuest, but was often off-task. | Student participated in the WebQuest, but was occasionally off-task. | Student participated fully in the WebQuest. |
Conclusion
Conclusion
YOU DID IT!
Congradulations you are now M&M experts!
You may eat your M&M's.
I hope you enjoyed this lesson and now have a better understanding of probability and fractions.
Remember, probability is how likely an event is to occur. Just because a probability is 7 out of 20 does not mean it will definitely occur 7 times out of 20.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
Credits
Teacher Page
by Don Couch, Brandman University
This WebQuest is designed to use different colored M&M's to help students with fractions and probability.
Teacher Introduction
This activity is very useful in giving students hands on experiance using fractions and probability.
It's best if studnets have already learned simple fractions, reducing fractions, creating bar graphs (Optional), and some probability before starting this WebQuest.
It is meant to cap the above math skills which students have already learned.
Learners
This WebQuest is designed for a 6th to 8th grade middle school special education math class. It can be used by students of all varying ability levels. Some work is independent, but some parts are in groups of two students.
Standards
NM-DATA.6-8
Teacher Process
WARNING
Before beginning this WebQuest, make sure none of your students have any allergies which make having M&M's in the room dangerous.
Have your students play the game before giving them their M&M's.
Remind them not to eat the M&M's until after the WebQuest is completed. You will probably have to repeate this reminder several times.
I recomend predetermined groups of two so they already have partners assigned to them. Be sure to explain that each partner must do the assignment separately.
LOTS OF WALKING AROUND is required.
There are several spots in the webquest where the student is prompted to raise their hand for assistnace. Help students with any questions they may have.
Teacher Resources
Each student will need a bag of fun-sized M&M's and a paper bag to put them in. The information provided below can be used as a worksheet for the questions.