Deal or No Deal Lesson Plan
Grade Level: 7 (This lesson could be adapted for 6th through 8th grades)
Materials:
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Deck of Playing Cards
Fair Coin (coin with head and tail sides) for each pair of students
Frequency Table for each pair of students
20 envelopes labeled 1 through 20
Copy of Dollar Amounts laminated and cut-out
Copy of Deal or No Deal Game Sheet for each student
Calculator for each student
Pencil for each student
Copy of Reflection Questions for each student
Objectives:
• The students will distinguish between Theoretical Probability and
Experimental Probability.
• The students will identify the probability of winning or losing the game when
given a set of dollar amounts.
• The students will compare the probability of winning the game at a variety
of points in the game.
• The students will calculate the mean of the remaining dollar amounts to
estimate the “bank offer.”
• The students will convert the probability of winning the high dollar amount
to a fraction, decimal, and percentage.
• The students will analyze the probability of the player getting the high
dollar amount during a variety of points in the game and advise the player in
making his/her choices.
• The students will judge the best time to exit the game by analyzing the
probability. The students will justify their answer.
P.A.S.S. Objectives:
Process Standard 5:
Representations- Use a variety of representations to organize and record data
(e.g., use concrete, pictorial, and symbolic representations).
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Maintenance Concepts:
Number Sense-Fractions
Data Analysis and Statistics- Interpret Data and Graphs, Mean
P.A.S.S. Standards:
Standard 5: Data Analysis and Probability – The student will use probability to
formulate and justify predictions from a set of data.
5.1- Use data from a sample to predict possible outcomes and compute simple
probabilities as fractions, decimals or percents (e.g., use data from lists,
tree diagrams, frequency distribution tables, area models).
5.2- Determine the probability of an event involving “or”, “and”, or “not” (e.g., on a
spinner with 1 blue, 2 red and 2 yellow sections, what is the probability of
getting a red or a yellow?).
Day 1:
Launch: Pick a Card
1. Have a student draw a card from a deck of cards.
2. Ask the students what is the probability of the chosen card being a Queen.
• Lead the students to the answer which is 4 in 52 ( or 1 in 13.)
3. Ask the students what is the probability of the chosen card being a Heart
• Lead the students to the answer which is 13 in 52 ( or 1 in 4.)
Explore: Heads or Tails
1. The teacher will say:
• Now we are going to look at another example of using probability.
2. Divide the students into pairs.
3. Give each pair a fair coin.
4. Pass out Frequency Table to each group.
5. Ask students what the probability of flipping heads would be on each flip.
• The probability would be 1 in 2 or 1/2.
6. Ask the students to predict what the probability of flipping heads would be if
they flipped the coin 40 times.
• The probability would be 20 in 40 (or 1 in 2.)
7. Instruct the students to flip the coin 40 times and make a tally mark of the
Frequency Table for each heads rolled and each tails rolled.
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8. Have students record their data on the board in a chart. For example:
Heads
Tails
Group A
Group B
Group C
Summarize:
1. Analyze the data developed from the students flipping the coin.
2. Ask the students:
• Were the results the same as you predicted?
• Did everybody get the same results?
• Why were they different?
• What if we averaged Heads and the Tails for all the groups? Is this
number closer to our prediction?
3. Introduce the terms Theoretical Probability and Experimental Probability.
• Theoretical Probability- favorable outcome divided by total possible
outcomes or what you expect results to be.
• Experimental Probability- the actual outcome divided by total possible
outcomes or what the actual results are.
4. Relate to root words:
• What word do you think of when you hear the word “Theoretical?”
o Possible answer might be “Theory.”
• What about the word “Experimental?”
o Possible answer might be “Experiment.”
5. If there is time, you may use the same procedure with a number cube.
Day 2:
Launch:
1. Review vocabulary from previous day (Theoretical and Experimental
Vocabulary)
2. Ask for examples where probability is used. Examples may include:
a. The lottery
b. The casino
c. Horse-racing
d. Wheel-of-Fortune
e. Game Shows
3. Introduce the game “Deal or No Deal” to the class.
a. Ask student the following questions:
• Have you ever seen the TV show “Deal or No Deal?”
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• What would you do if you were the contestant?
b. Tell the students:
• We are going to play the game today as a class.
Explore: Rules for “Deal” or “No Deal”
Preparation:
Begin by labeling 20 envelopes with the numbers 1-20. Randomly place the
Dollar Amounts (attached) in each of these 20 envelopes. Place the envelopes
at the front of the classroom.
The teacher randomly chooses one student to be the contestant for the game.
The teacher will serve as the “Host” of the game show. A student could serve
as host after the game is better understood by the class.
Deal or No Deal Game Sheets are passed out to all other students. They will
use these game sheets during the game to calculate probability and bank offers
as the game progresses.
Playing the Game:
Contestant begins the game by choosing the envelope that he believes contains
the $1,000. The envelope is set aside and labeled on the game sheet. (The
contents are not revealed at this time.)
Round 1:
The contestant chooses 5 envelopes one at a time from the remaining envelopes.
The goal is to choose the smaller amounts available in order to increase the
bank offer. As the 5 envelopes are chosen, students will cross out these
amounts on their game sheets.
After each round, the students will calculate and record the bank offer by
finding the mean of the remaining dollar amounts (including the chosen
envelope). Students will also calculate probabilities as set forth on game sheet.
The contestant will decide whether or not to accept the bank offer by saying
“Deal” or “No Deal”. If the contestant does not take the deal, proceed to Round
2.
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Round 2:
For round 2, the contestant chooses 4 envelopes from the remaining envelopes
and game continues as in round 1.
Round 3:
Three envelopes are chosen. Students follow same procedures as in previous
rounds.
Round 4:
Two envelopes are chosen. Students follow same procedures as in previous
rounds.
Round 5:
In round 5 and each succeeding round, one envelope will be chosen.
Game continues until the contestant either takes the deal or finishes by
eliminating all other envelopes and opening their original case.
Suggestions:
As the game proceeds, the teacher will ask open ended questions involving
probability as needed.
Make a transparency of the game sheet to guide students as the game
progresses.
Summarize:
Have students answer questions on the page labeled Reflection Questions.
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Frequency Table
Heads
Tails
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Frequency Table
Heads
Tails
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Frequency Table
Heads
Tails
$5
$10
$25
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
$450
$500
$550
$600
$650
$750
$800
$900
$1000
Deal or No Deal
Student Rubric
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All calculations are
correct on Game Sheet.
All Reflection Questions
are answered using
complete sentences and
show total understanding
of probability.
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The student made 1 to 3
errors in calculation on
the Game Sheet.
All Reflection Questions
are answered with minor
errors in their
understanding of
probability.
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The student made 4 to
6 errors in calculation
on the Game Sheet.
Most Reflection
Questions are
answered with minor
errors in their
understanding of
probability.
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The student made 7 or
more errors in
calculation on the Game
Sheet.
Some Reflection
Questions are answered
with substantial errors in
their understanding of
probability.
Deal or No Deal!
Date:
Name:
Based on the game you played in the class, Deal or No Deal; write
your response to following questions;
1. Explain why the player made a good or bad deal during each round.
2. When would have been the best time to get out of the game? Explain
why.
3. What factors influenced the choice of the players made?
4. What would you have done differently if you were the player of each
round?