What are the most likely outcomes when rolliing a pair of dice?

Ooh, we do love Friday Maths! Recently we started a statistical investigation to work out what numbers are most likely to occur if we rolled two dice together.

Firstly, we worked out that 7 was the most likely total to roll because you can get 7 by rolling 1+6, 2+5, 3+4, 4+3, 5+2 or 6+1. That means 7 has a better chance of being rolled than 8 because to roll an 8 you would need a 2+6, 3+5, 4+4, 5+3 or 6+2 which is less possible combinations.

You can see this in the chart below.

Outcome	Possible Combinations	Total
2	1+1	1
3	1+2, 2+1	2
4	1+3, 2+2, 3+1	3
5	1+4, 2+3, 3+2, 4+1	4
6	1+5, 2+4, 3+3, 4+2, 5+1	5
7	1+6, 2+5, 3+4, 4+3, 5+2, 6+1	6
8	2+6, 3+5, 4+4, 5+3, 6+2	5
9	3+6, 4+5, 5+4, 6+3	4
10	4+6, 5+5, 6+4	3
11	5+6, 6+5	2
12	6+6	1

You can see the rolling a 2 or a 12 are least likely but also equally unlikely.

Next, we set up an random chance game to find out if this was true in real life.  We wanted to see if we could beat the odds and have another number be the one that gets rolled more.

So we ruled up a page with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 across the bottom and then ruled squares to make a track.

Then we used blocks to "race" to the finish line when we rolled our dice. Every time we rolled a number the block in that column "raced" forward one square. The first block to the edge of the page was the winner.

Most teams coloured in the squares to show the distribution of the outcomes.

It was so fun! It was really interesting to see how even when you know there is a greater chance of something happening, it can never be guaranteed when you are relying on chance!

Here is one of the groups cheering on the winner which was not even number 8 but number 9!

It was really fab to see all the children really getting to understand how certain dice rolls are more likely or unlikely and how the statistical language of probability and chance can be applied to every day things, like playing board games.

So now we know that there is only a 1 in 36 chance of getting a double 1 or double 6 we can see why these are so hard to get when you really need them in a game like Ludo.

Hockey Training

"What's hockey?" someone in Rm 18 asked me on Tuesday.

Well, in just a few minutes the class found out. We went over to the Papatoetoe Sports Club for our training with Counties Manukau on Tuesday afternoon. This was the first of three sessions we will have on hockey with at PSC.

The first thing that happened was we got a brief description of the game and how the sticks work from the coaches.

Our first lesson was mainly about learning the correct way to hold the hockey stick. Here's what we learned:

1. You have to hold the stick so that you only hit the ball with the flat side of the stick.

2. You hold onto it tightly with your left hand at the top (no limp wrists!)

3. You make a L  (a back to front one) with your thumb and index finger on your right hand and use this to hold on lower down the handle to control it.

Being shown how to make a L-shape with our right hand

Caleb, Arush and Ronnie show us how it's done

It doesn't matter if you are left handed; everybody holds the sticks the same way so no one gets hurt. And left handed people will have a good strong backhand.

Ready to play!

Practicing our swing

When we got a handle on how to hold the stack, we learned how to do a push pass. This meant we had to put our feet at a right angle to the way we wanted the ball to go and then put the stick against the ball and push the ball away. If you hear a whack when the stick hits the ball, then you are doing it wrong.

All lined up opposite our partners

Listening carefully to the coach's directions

After a few rounds of passing the ball to our partners we finished our lessons and went on back to class. Rm 18 can't wait to go back again next week and find out more hockey skills.

Best Karakia at PCS!

Go Rm 18!

Best recital of the karakia in the senior school. Announced in assembly on Monday and awarded Whaea Paea's special patu until the end of term.

Maori warriors used patus in combat. They struck in a downward motion with the leading edge of the weapon. The patu was used to hit the jaw, temple or ribs in close fighting.

Whaea Paea's patu is decorative and very pretty. It is made out of glass but the original patus were usually made out of greenstone.

 She told us that her patu was very special to her because it was from the heart of Nga Puhi in Northland. Her patu was given to her on her 21st from a good friend.

Here is Cialei (representing our class) being presented with the patu in front of the whole school.

Thanks, Whaea Paea, for choosing us to look after your very special taonga.

Fitness Fun Day

Wow, I don't know what they were worried about! The sun came out in bucket loads for the Y6s and their fundraiser the Fitness Fun Day.

Room 18 went out with the rest of the middle school after Break One. We had a fab time going from station to station with the very helpful Y6 children at each telling us what the activity was.

Our Highlight: The children loved the obstacle course where they had to do a sack race, quickly put on a netball bib, throw and catch a ball and do the hula hoop faster than their opponent.

Watching their teammates

Keira getting ready for her turn

Neck and neck

Cheering on their House

A beautiful day!

It's harder than it looks

Lotosina shows us her ball skills

 

 

 

Second activity was shooting goals into the football net.  Turns out we have few children with some skills in this area

Strike!

Too fast for the goalkeeper

Double attack

Listening to the Y5s explain the activity

All in all, another fun event at PCS. Thanks Y6 for your great organisation and your creative ideas!

The Inquisitive Mind of a Child

The Inquisitive Mind of a Child

Why are they selling poppies, Mummy?
Selling poppies in town today.
The poppies, child, are flowers of love.
For the men who marched away.

But why have they chosen a poppy, Mummy?

Why not a beautiful rose?
Because my child, men fought and died
In the fields where the poppies grow.

But why are the poppies so red, Mummy?
Why are the poppies so red?
Red is the colour of blood, my child.
The blood that our soldiers shed.

The heart of the poppy is black, Mummy.
Why does it have to be black?
Black, my child, is the symbol of grief.
For the men who never came back.

But why, Mummy are you crying so?
Your tears are giving you pain.
My tears are my fears for you my child.
For the world is forgetting again.

Author Unknown

The Rm18 children are always asking to see my son William so here are a few pictures from our family Anzac Day commemorations. 

My son is three and a half and had a million questions about war and peace, death, the soldiers and the poppies and it made me think of this poignant poem.

For me, the most precious part of this years Anzac Day was, as many others noted, that as the years pass, the number of returned soldier grows less and less but the number of children paying their respects increases.

William's father pins on his first poppy

William walks with his Daddy who wears his service medals from 10 years with the NZ Army which included overseas peace operations.

For my own part, I have been so impressed with the sensitive and respectful way the children in Rm18 have approached our learning about the Anzacs and New Zealand's role in WW1. They are full of questions which they ask with tact and they have been so sympathetic when discussing the hardships our young New Zealand men suffered during the Gallipoli campaign.
Thank you, Rm18; your maturity and compassion has really impressed me.

Term 2

A quick post to let you know what we are up to this term in Room 18. It is another busy term with a packed timetable every day...

In Social Studies this first half term we are looking at NZ at War and after our Health unit in the middle of the term, Social Studies for the last weeks of T2 will be Community Heroes.

The children are enjoying the recorder lessons and looking forward to more skills teaching in sport with large ball sports.

Fractions

I have been thinking about how children often get muddled when learning fractions and find it an intimidating subject. I have found a couple of helpful explanatory videos online to share with the class to help them better understand some of the components to fractions.
So here is the one we looked at in class:
Remember: the numerator is never under and the denominator is down

And here is one from Mathletics about equivalent fractions.
Click here to open this video in a new window

Room 18, watch these videos to help you better understand fractions. Watch them a few times if you need to... we don't always learn things the first time... real learning happens when we find the things we don't know and learn them.

And don't forget to make the most of the Mathletics subscription your parents paid for by going online as often as you can to complete tasks on Mathletics.