Eighth grade students can learn beginning probability from a basic spinner divided into equal sections with only four colors. They can record the number of times a spinner lands on each color if spun 100 times. They can calculate the probability of the number of times a spinner would land on the same color twice in a row. The difficulty increases when the number of colors increases or when the spinner is divided into unequal sections. Children then need to use more advanced math skills to calculate the correct answers.
Students can take turns actually flipping a coin 100 times to see how many times it lands on heads and how many times it lands on tails. They can also play an online game by entering how many times they want the penny or dime flipped at Ken White's Coin Flipping Page. Once they "flip" the coins, the page will let children know the total times the coin had landed on heads or tails.
Dice probability takes into consideration different events. Again, students can start with basics on one die, such as determining the probability of rolling a one or two. They can advance to more difficult problems, such as the probability of rolling a six and then any number but a six. The interest and complexity of problems increase when children use two dice instead of one. They can also try rolling dice online to see results.
Children can also see the results of probability when they use a simple deck of playing cards. They can answer basic questions ranging in difficulty from easy to more challenging. Easy problems include figuring the odds of drawing a spade or of drawing a red card. More challenging problems include figuring out the odds of choosing a card higher than a six.