Mathematics

Advanced

50 mins

Teacher/Student led

Learning Goals

Learning Outcomes

Lesson Files

+80 XP

What you need:
IWB/Projector/Large Screen

Probability as a Fraction: Out of Total Outcomes

Learn to calculate probability by counting favourable outcomes and total outcomes, then writing the result as a simplified fraction. Work with spinners, dice, and two-dice combinations.

Warning: Your screen size is quite small for viewing this. Rotate your device into landscape mode if you can.

1 Getting Started
2 Watch and Notice
3 Try It Together
4 Work It as a Fraction in Your Copy
5 Class Challenge
6 What Did We Notice?
7 What's Next
Pupil practice

1 - Getting Started ~4 mins

Here is a wheel split into six equal segments, numbered 1 to 6.

Hands up: what is the chance of the arrow landing on segment 3? Is it a big chance or a small one?

👇 Mark your steps as done as you complete them.

+5 XP

2 - Watch and Notice ~9 mins

The interactive shows a wheel, then a die, then two dice. For each one we name an event and count two things: how many outcomes make it happen, and how many outcomes there are in all. Watch what goes on the bottom of the fraction each time.

👇 Mark your steps as done as you complete them.

+10 XP

3 - Try It Together ~10 mins

We'll work through these two-dice questions on the board. Roll and watch the histogram build. Then, for each one, count the favourable pairs before we write the fraction.

A sum of 2.
A sum of 7.
A sum of 12.
A sum bigger than 10.

Key point

The histogram shows what happened when we rolled. Counting the pairs gives the probability.

Two dice: favourable sums

+15 XP

4 - Work It as a Fraction in Your Copy ~3 mins

COPYBOOK MOMENT

In your maths copy, work each probability as 'favourable / total' and write it as a fraction. Underline your answer, and simplify it where you can.

One segment on a six-segment wheel
An even number on a six-sided die
A prime number on a six-sided die
Two dice adding to 7

+10 XP

5 - Class Challenge ~8 mins

Key point

We'll spin these wheels and write each probability as a fraction. Predict each one before we count.

One segment on a four-segment wheel
An even number on an eight-segment wheel
A number bigger than 6 on the eight-segment wheel
A prime number on the eight-segment wheel (remember, a prime has exactly two factors, itself and 1)

Wheels: probability as a fraction

+15 XP

Pupil practice

Module 7 · Data, Chance and the Co-ordinate Plane Data & Chance

Lesson 101 · Probability as a Fraction: Out of Total Outcomes

Download Activity Book page (PDF)

123learn · Online learning platform

Unlock the full learning experience

You're previewing this lesson. Get full access to this lesson and hundreds more — each one ready to teach, with interactive activities, printable resources and pupil progress tracking built in.

Hundreds of curriculum-aligned lessons

Interactive activities in every lesson

Printable resources & progress tracking

Get started

Copyright Notice
This lesson is copyright of Coding Ireland 2017 - 2025. Unauthorised use, copying or distribution is not allowed.