The Quincy Junior High School Probability Fair turns games into learning opportunities for seventh graders.
The fair is hosted by students in Deonna Sekikawa’s honors math class. “Carnival games in general are a good example of probability,” Sekikawa said.
The jousting match was calculated and Brody Mercer had the greater chance of winning. He won the use of a “sword” that was longer than that of his opponent, Logan Means. Although he struggled with his balance, he won while learning about math simultaneously.
“I thought I had probably a 75 percent chance to win,” Brody said, but “it was hard. I don’t have that much balance.”
Students in the jousting game rolled dice, and the larger number won the longer foam noodle which served as a sword. They balanced atop bicycle helmets, and the first one to come off the helmet lost the match.
Students created their own carnival games while calculating the probability of a win. Theories were tested at the fair, as they invited the entire school to come to the carnival and play the games.
“They’ve kind of gone all out with this,” Sekikawa said.
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