Teaching Module: Probability

Form 4-7 students who are interested in mathematics.

The module is divided into two parts. The first part (lessons 1-5) aims to clarify the basic concepts in probability such as sample space, events, probability function, independent events, random variables, etc. We will try a more interactive approach: giving students some paradoxical arguments and ask them to figure out what’s wrong in there. Perhaps after discussion with others they will come up with some ideas, and hopefully the students will discover that in order to explain the flaw they need to have a more firm grasp on the subject.

The second part (lessons 6-7) discusses two selected topics: random walk and card shuffling. Computer programs will be provided. Students need to perform experiments, record the experimental data and perhaps propose conjectures.