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Math (Un)Fair at West Point Grey Academy

On Tuesday 6 December, West Point Grey Academy hosted a Math (Un)Fair with grade 5-6(?) students presenting activities on probability and fairness. Prior to the fair, The students created games with that were either fair or unfair based on the likelihoods of participants winning or losing. They were required to list out all possible outcomes and calculate theoretical probability. At the math (un)fair, the students acted as game hosts, and collected experimental data, where they would record results and calculate experimental probability.

Overall, the event appeared to be a success, students took pride in their mathematical (and artistic!) work, as well as celebrated the work of their peers. Students continued to develop their understanding of mathematical probability through the interaction with their participants, and some continued to make adjustments to their game and hosting process to improve their methods. It seemed that all hosts and participants were engaged in the activities!

Some minor issues were raised only when students had trouble describing the probability theory behind the game and their experimentation, such as confusing the terms "even/odd" with "fair/unfair". A few students told me that their games were "even game[s]." Some students were tallying results of "even/odd" outcomes rather than "win/lose." However, it is expected that the teachers will assist the students in clarify their understanding of probability when they begin to make conclusions. Indubitably, students will have a deeper and practical knowledge of probability at the end of this learning process.

While I was not there for the process of teaching/learning and preparation for this event, there are some questions raised which may suggest improvements for recreating this event.
-Did students get to test out their ideas for the game with their peers or a "study group" (such as parents/guardians or siblings)?
-Had they had practice in describing and explaining concepts of fairness and probability in relation to their game?
-Were they shown different ways of presenting possible outcomes and recording results in a logical and efficient manner? (Some students recorded every step and implication of every step during each round!)
-Were students explained, modelled, and have the opportunity to practice how to be an informing and engaging game host?

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