Decision Making: Probability and Risk Assessment

Middle School Module

Decision Making: Probability and Risk Assessment is a SEPUP module designed for use in grades 7–12. The module contains a series of 11 activities that provide approximately 3 weeks of instruction.

This module focuses on how mathematical reasoning can be used to make decisions in everyday life. Marble-rolling activities, number cubes, and coin tosses are used to introduce probability. After reading historical case studies, students are presented with a hypothetical life-or-death scenario involving the spread of an infectious disease. They decide how to reduce risks associated with local disasters, whether they occur naturally or as a result of human intervention. Students are assessed on their ability to use evidence and identify trade-offs when making a decision.

Each module includes a Teacher’s Guide containing reproducible student pages and a kit containing the equipment required to conduct the activities with five classes of 32 students. The Teacher’s Guide provides specific strategies to facilitate and assess student learning.

What else would you like to know about this module?

• Table of contents

• Equipment kit contents

• Sample activity from the SEPUP Module Waste Disposal: Computers and the Environment (165K pdf)
  (To read pdf files, get Acrobat Reader from www.adobe.com)

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Module Overview

Table of Contents

Kit Contents

Ordering Information