Sums of Jumanji

Introduce the lesson using the attached Lesson Slides. Display slide 2 to share the title of the lesson. Go to slide 3 to display the lesson's essential questions: When might we use probability and why? Why do we need probability? Go to slide 4 to share the lesson's learning objective with students. Review this with your class to the extent you feel necessary.

Go to slide 5. Ask the following question:

Have you read the book or seen one of the Jumanji movies?

If you have students who have read the book or seen the movies, ask one or two of them to provide a brief description of the story.

Option 1: Reading the Book

Go to slide 7. Read the book to the class, stopping on page 22 after Judy is told by Peter "If you roll a 12, you can get out of the jungle." 

Display slide 8. Instruct students to find a partner and use the Think-Pair-Share strategy to reflect on the question, "What is the likelihood that Judy will roll a 12 to end the game?"

Think: Students will individually reflect using the spectrum of likelihood (impossible, 0; unlikely, between 0 and 1/2; likely as not, 1/2; likely, between 1/2 and 1; or certain, 1). Pair: Instruct students to turn to their partner and take turns sharing and explaining their responses. Share: Student pairs should then share with the whole class what they discussed (what they agreed or disagreed upon and why).

Display slide 9 and finish reading the book.

Display slide 10 and return to the question about Judy and the game, but this time have students consider "Which sum or sums would Judy most likely have rolled with two standard dice?" Have students participate in another Think-Pair-Share.

Option 2: Watching the Movie Clips

Display slide 11 and play the first 39 seconds of the video clip Jumanji 7/8, stopping the video right before Sarah rolls the dice. 

Display slide 12 and instruct students to find a partner and use the Think-Pair-Share strategy to reflect on the question: "What is the likelihood Sarah will roll a 7 to end the game?" 

Think: Students will individually reflect using the spectrum of likelihood (impossible, 0; unlikely, between 0 and 1/2; likely as not, 1/2; likely, between 1/2 and 1; or certain, 1). Pair: Instruct students to turn to their partner and take turns sharing and explaining their responses. Share: Student pairs should then share with the whole class what they discussed (what they agreed or disagreed upon and why).

Once the whole class discussion has finished, display slide 13 and finish watching Jumanji (7/8), then move to slide 14 to show Jumanji (8/8). 

Display slide 15 and ask the following questions: 

• "What was the likelihood that Alan was going to roll a number that was three or greater?" 

• “Was the likelihood greater for Sarah or Alan to finish the game? Why?". 

• “Which sums were Sarah and Alan most likely to roll with two standard dice?"

Have students participate in another Think-Pair-Share.

Both options pick back up here:

Go to slide 16. As a whole group discuss the question: "What sums are impossible to roll with two standard dice?" Allow students time to consider a few sums that would be impossible to create when rolling two standard dice. Students will hopefully come to a consensus that the sums can only be 2-12. Nothing less and nothing more would be possible unless they were to use dice with more sides or different values.

Go to slide 17. Ask students to define Sample Space. Call on a few students to answer then briefly conclude that the range of possible outcomes is called the Sample Space. In the story, Sample Space the possible sums.