Model Chance is a three-year project funded by the National Science Foundation to develop simulation software and classroom activities to help middle school students learn about probability. The simulation tool will be integrated into our data-analysis software, TinkerPlots.
One of the needs the project responds to is that current curriculum materials on probability convey little sense of the importance and range of applications of probability, and that prior to high school we treat probability and data analysis as separate strands. The new software and materials will allow students to investigate real-world problems, such as the probability of false positives from medical screening tests, the probability of injury from repeated exposure to various risks, and chance-based processes, such as evolution and diffusion.
The project team includes researchers from 10 universities. Initial field tests of the materials are occurring at the Lynch Middle School in Holyoke MA, and Rose Park Middle School in Nashville TN.
This project was supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation (ESI-0454754). Opinions expressed here are those of the project staff and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.
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