Instructional Video

Check Your Intuition: The Birthday Problem

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Check Your Intuition: The Birthday Problem instructional video also includes:

Happy birthday to you — and to you! A festive video on probability examines the likelihood of two people in a group sharing a birthday, based on the size of the group. 

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Instructional Ideas
  • Replicate the problem in the classroom to see if the statistics hold true; start with pairs that confer about their birthdays and complete the necessary calculations, then expand group size until pupils calculate the entire class, grade level, and school
  • Have class members watch the video on their personal tablets, or show it during a warm-up before a lesson on probability
Classroom Considerations
  • Requires access to the Internet
  • Video may move quickly for some learners, so you may want to pause to elaborate on the details
Pros
  • Entertaining and engaging for even the most reluctant mathematicians
  • Provides a short assessment and discussion questions
Cons
  • None