Mathematics 5 curriculum guide 2015 I table of contents acknowledgements

5SP3 Continued...
Impossible 
Possible 
Certain 
5SP3.1 (Continued) Provide 
examples of events from personal 
contexts that are impossible, 
possible or certain.
5SP3.3 Design and conduct a 
probability experiment in which 
the likelihood of a single outcome 
occurring is impossible, possible or 
certain.
After some experience with probability experiments, students should be 
able to make a connection between the number of times an event occurs
and the representation of that quality in the whole. With a spinner, 
for example, if most of the area is covered in pink and a small section is 
blue, it is possible to spin pink or blue. It is impossible to spin yellow.
Tell students that they are going to select 10 blocks to put in each bag.
Ask them how many of which colours they would use to create Bag A, B 
and C.
Bag A - the likelihood of choosing a red cube is certain.
Bag B - the likelihood of choosing a red cube is possible.
Bag C- the likelihood of choosing a red cube is impossible.

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MATHEMATICS 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2015
Suggested Assessment Strategies
Resources/Notes
PROBABILITY
General Outcome: Use Experimental or Theoretical Probabilities to Represent and 
Solve Problems Involving Uncertainty.
Authorized Resource
Math Focus 5
Lesson 2: Conducting Spinner 
Experiments
TR: pp. 16-20
SB: pp. 340-343
Lesson 3: Conducting 
Experiments with a Die
TR: pp. 21-24
SB: pp. 344-346
Math Game: 
Choose Your Spinner 
TR: pp. 25-26
SB: p. 347
Performance 
• Ask students to vote with their feet by moving to a designated 
corner of the classroom in response to probability statements. The 
corners are labelled 
Possible
, 
Impossible
, and 
Certain
. When students 
arrive at the corner of their choice, they discuss with others in that 
corner the reasons for their choice. A class dialogue could be held 
with each corner defending why they made their choice, followed 
by a whole class decision regarding whether one response might be a 
better choice than the others.
(5SP3.2)
• Ask students to do a probability sort. Supply a set of statements on 
task cards - perhaps drawn from their personal stories in Achievement 
Indicator 5SP3.1 - and ask them to sort the events into the categories 
of Possible, Impossible and Certain. 
(5PS3.2)
• Ask students to imagine that a new student is about to join the 
class. Ask them which of these statements is possible, which is 
certain, and which is impossible. Students may use an agreement 
circle or move to designated corners of the classroom to vote on 
statements such as:
(i) The student is a girl.
(ii) The student is the same age as others in the class.
(iii) The student has a head. 
(iv) The student likes physical education class.
(v) The student has just moved into the area. 
(5SP3.2) 
• Give students a paper bag containing 10 coloured tiles; five red, 
three blue, two yellow. Ask them whether choosing a red tile is 
certain, impossible, or possible. They explain their response. Ask:
How would you change the tiles in the bag so that the likelihood of 
choosing a non-red tile is (i) certain? (ii) impossible?
(5SP3.3)
Paper and Pencil
• Exit Card: Ask students to summarize, in 30 words or less, what they 
learned about the likelihood of a particular event happening.
(5SP3.1)
Journal
• Ask students to respond to this prompt: If two standard dice are 
rolled, what is the likelihood that the numbers rolled have a sum of 
14 - certain, possible, or impossible? Why do you think so?
(5SP3.3)

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