Grades K to 1 - Statistics and Probability (Chance and Uncertainty)

The sub-organizer contains the following sections:
Prescribed Learning Outcomes
Suggested Instructional Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
Recommended Learning Resources

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

It is expected that students will describe concepts of chance and chance events using ordinary vocabulary.

It is expected that students will:

predict the chance of an event happening using the terms never, sometimes, and always

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Statistics and Probabilities (Chance and Uncertainty) in other grades click on an icon below.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Children expect certain things to happen and are often disappointed or surprised when they don't. Opportunities to explore and notice the things that always happen, those that sometimes happen, and those that never happen help children to understand probability.

As a class, discuss what everyone did before coming to school and identify the things that were common to every person. For example, everyone got out of bed and came to school.
Ask questions like the following:
- On a school day, what do you do every morning?
- What would you never do?
- What might you do some days but not every day?
Suggest a situation and then ask students questions about it related to probability. For example: It is raining outside. What kinds of things would you always see outside on a rainy day? What would you sometimes see? What would you never see?

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

Students show that they are making sense of concepts such as never, sometimes, and always when they begin to use the terms appropriately. Listening in on their conversations and asking questions will help you know if the child is getting a good sense of the meanings of these terms.

Observe

Create situations in connection with daily activities or stories and invite students' predictions. Note when students are able to make reasonable predictions as to whether an event will or will not happen, and to explain why.
Ask children to complete sentences such as:
- I always ____________.
- I sometimes ____________.
- I never ____________.