Math lesson plan · 12th grade (Year 13 in England) · 45 minutes
Binomial probability
Statistics and probability
CCSS HSS.MD.A.3CCSS HSS.CP.B.9
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Binomial probability.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Permutations and combinations; Tree diagrams and Venn diagrams
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Squared paper for charts, Class survey data, Sticky notes for a live chart, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Permutations and combinations; Tree diagrams and Venn diagrams). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- In how many ways can 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place be awarded among 8 runners? → 1680Prompt: Order matters: use permutations nPr.
- A bag has 7 red and 2 blue counters. Two are taken without replacement. What is the probability both are red? Give a fraction in simplest form. → 7/12Prompt: Multiply along the branches of the tree diagram.
- Kwame has 7 different books to put on a shelf. In how many different orders can they be arranged? → 5040Prompt: How many choices for the first spot, then the second…?
Hook · 5 min
- Take a quick class survey (favorite fruit, travel to school) and ask what the results tell us.
- Share the objective: Binomial probability. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: A trial succeeds with probability 0.4. It is repeated 6 times independently. What is the probability of exactly 5 successes? Round to 3 decimal places.
- Step 1: 6 × 0.4^5 × 0.6^1
- Step 2: ≈ 0.037
- Answer: 0.037
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- A trial succeeds with probability 0.2. It is repeated 4 times independently. What is the probability of exactly 1 success? Round to 3 decimal places. → 0.41Prompt: P(X = k) = nCk × p^k × (1 − p)^(n − k).
- A trial succeeds with probability 0.2. It is repeated 5 times independently. What is the probability of exactly 2 successes? Round to 3 decimal places. → 0.205Prompt: P(X = k) = nCk × p^k × (1 − p)^(n − k).
You do: independent practice · 10 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- A trial succeeds with probability 0.4. It is repeated 4 times independently. What is the probability of exactly 1 success? Round to 3 decimal places. → 0.346Prompt: P(X = k) = nCk × p^k × (1 − p)^(n − k).
- A trial succeeds with probability 0.2. It is repeated 4 times independently. What is the probability of exactly 3 successes? Round to 3 decimal places. → 0.026Prompt: P(X = k) = nCk × p^k × (1 − p)^(n − k).
Watch out for
- Forgetting to put data in order before finding the median.
- Reading a bar's height wrongly when the scale goes up in 2s or 5s.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Permutations and combinations.
- Use concrete materials: squared paper for charts.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-12.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder