IB-MYP Mathematics Year 10
‘How can I create an unfair
casino game?’
Probability Inquiry Project
The Inquiry Project:
1.
2.
3.
You need to create a card game that is
unfair.
You need to make a ‘pitch’ to a casino to
sell them your game.
You will need to explain and show how it
works, both verbally and mathematically,
and how it favours the ‘house’ (how will it
make them money?)
**The more subtle it is, the better (if it’s too obvious that it is
unfair, then no one will play!)
How will you be assessed?
You will work in pairs
 You will present your game to thegroup.
 They will Peer-Assess you (one peer
assessment per pair, so you get 2
assessments done on you)

How will you be assessed?
You will have 12 minutes to complete
your presentation - 8 minutes ‘pitch’ & 4
minutes Question & Answer
 You may use any media you like to assist
you in your presentation - posters,
computers, LCD etc
 The 12 minutes includes set-up time
 Pairs will then have 2 minutes to Peer
Assess

How will you be assessed?
In the presentation you will be assessed
using Criteria B - Investigating Patterns
and Criteria C – Communication
 The peer-assessment marks will be your
final grade - your teacher will not be
assessing you!
 In a separate brief report you will be
assessed using Criteria D – Reflection in
Mathematics (graded by me)

An example (to give you more of an idea…)
This example will be basic and obvious – I
expect yours to be more cunning!
 As well as explaining the game, you need
to explain how the probabilities works
 You can use fractions, or Venn diagrams,
or statistical probability….
 …check the rubric!

Example: Zeeth! As a Casino
(betting) game
The aim of this game is, by using
mathematical operators, to make your
cards equal 24
 You bet that you can do this within two
cards. If you can do this, you win.
 If you do it with 3 cards, it’s a draw.
 If you don’t do it with three, you lose.

Here’s what it might look like:

Insert video example
Why will the house win more
than it loses?
How many hands ‘win’ for the ‘punter’?
 6 & 4 (6 x 4) or 8 & 3 (8 x 3)
 What are the probabilities?….

What hands ‘draw’?
 10, 10, 4 (10+10+4)
 10, 8, 6
 10, 7, 7
 10, 9, 5
 …..

Assessment rubrics - Task
Descriptors
See the related docs and video at W-math
 Assessment rubrics

Where to next?
We’ve done some ‘tuning in’. Next is
‘Finding out’
 Because you’re a small group I think you
should do this together start a ‘KWL’
 What I KNOW
 WHAT I want to know
 What I have LEARNED

What do I want to know?

There are known knowns.
These are things we know
that we know. There are
known unknowns. That is
to say, there are things that
we know we don't know.
But there are also unknown
unknowns. There are
things we don't know we
don't know.
What do I want to know?
Examples of likely questions about ‘What
do I want to know?’:
 What are casino games?
 Why are they casino games?
 How do they work?
 How can we describe them
mathematically?
 What are their long-probabilities?

Probability skills you’ll probably
need to look at
Theoretical probability
 Experimental probability
 Long-run frequency and probability
 Tree diagrams
 Complementary and Mutually exclusive
events
 Dependent and Independent events
 Subjective probability

Text book work….
From MathQuest10 Chapter 11, look at
most things.
 There will be an individual test on
Probability, based on most of this Chapter
 Won’t include Karnaugh Maps (11E)
 You may not have learnt about some of
the things in this Chapter that are covered
quickly – let me know and I can give you
some skill building help
