AG Richardson Elementary school held their second annual Probability Fair on the evening of February 22, 2024. This event was the first in a trifecta of family events to be held at the school. In March, the school will host a reading night, and they will host a STEM night in April.
AGR Math Specialist Candy Standley planned and organized the event. The idea for a Probability Fair originated at a math conference Standley attended many years ago. The evening was free to all AGR families and the materials were purchased from the ESSER III Set Asides Before & After School Grant, which includes funding for Family Engagement events.
When each student arrived at the event, they received a sheet of tickets, one for each of the twenty games set up in the cafeteria and gym. Each game had a probability of winning ranging from certain to impossible. To ensure that all students would win at least two prizes, students were “certain” to win two of the games and the rest was up to probability. Standley said, “Our kiddos who attended seemed to handle our impossible and unlikely games with grace,” and “based on the winnings I saw, many beat the odds!”
Fifth graders hosted each of the games. They made a poster and learned the rules ahead of time. Their willingness to come out and help, along with their leadership and communication skills is what made the night a success. Each group of fifth graders also had a teacher volunteer available to help with questions and restocking prizes.
New to the Probability Fair this year was a game just for adults. Each adult who attended the fair was given a ticket at the door. The ticket allowed them to play “Which Will You Pick?” where they had to spin a spinner to determine how many chances they got–1,2,3, or 4. Once they had their chance slips filled out, the question became, “Should I put all of them in for the same prize? Does that increase my chance of winning?” or “Would I be better off to spread my chances among multiple prizes?” There was lots of great conversation among students and their adults. The students who hosted this game also drew the winning names and made the “You Won!” phone calls.
Prior to the Probability Fair, AGR teachers shared books and videos with their classes to build background knowledge. “Our goal was for all students to develop some understanding of probability and the vocabulary we use to describe the likelihood of an event,” Standley explained. She concluded, “We all had a great time, and we are always happy to have our families in the building for a fun event.” AGR thanks everyone who attended the event and is looking forward to the school’s reading night next month.