Probability Math in Menlo Park

Probability is one of the most useful things to learn since it is seen every where in the real world. In Menlo Park, probability is first seen in 3rd grade. After that, the child in Menlo Park will have to use probability in every math class after that. Thus, mastering probability is very important.

Probability Basics in Menlo Park

Probability is found using this simple equation: number of ways it can happen/total outcome. For example, if you want to know what the probability is of flipping tails on a coin, you would count the number of ways getting tails can happen (in this case it is 1 time). The total outcome is 2 because you can either flip heads or tails. Thus, the probability of flipping tails on a coin is 1/2 or 50%.

Menlo Park Math Problems

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Here are some problems to ask your child so that they will master their probability skills.

  1. There are 5 people in your family (including yourself) and each person wants to go to a different restaurant in Menlo Park. To choose a restaurant fairly, everyone writes the name of the restaurant on a slip of paper and puts in a hat, and one restaurant is picked out. What is the probability your restaurant will be chosen?
  2. If you and your sister both wrote down the same restaurant, what is the probability your restaurant will be chosen?
  3. You go to your favorite ice cream parlor in Menlo Park. This parlor has 25 flavors: 8 of the flavors are chocolate related, 9 are fruity, and the other 8 have neither chocolate nor fruit. If you choose an ice cream flavor at random, what is the probability that the chosen flavor is one of the chocolate flavors? What is the probability it is a fruity flavor? What is the probability it is neither a chocolate nor fruity flavor?

As you can see, probability is everywhere. There are so many fun questions you can ask your child that relate to probability.

For more problems and book recommendations, check out Palo Alto – Menlo Park Mathnasium’s website.

Probability Math Problems in San Carlos

Practicing Probability in Palo Alto

Probably Pistachio by Stuart J. Murphy is a humorous story of Jack’s rather unlucky day. As Jack takes you through his series of unfortunate occurrences on an atypical  Monday in a city like San Carlos, you will begin to wonder what are the chances of that occurring? This is where probability will come in to play and answer that question. What is even better than the laughs this story will give you is the fact that the story will teach your child probability right here in San Carlos!

While the primary focus of Probably Pistachio is probability, it also incorporates other mathematical concepts that will be useful to children in San Carlos schools. At the end of the story, there are follow up questions related to probability based on the reading. There are several tips and activities in the back of the book on ways in which parents can incorporate concepts of probability into a child’s daily life in San Carlos. Additionally, there are suggestions for other books that review some of the same concepts as Probably Pistachio. If your child is ready to learn probability, head over to Books Inc. in Palo Alto or Barnes and Noble in Redwood City and purchase a copy of Probably Pistachio. For more math help near San Carlos, visit Mathnasium of Palo Alto-Menlo Park.

Image from harpercollinschildrens.com

Painting Math in Palo Alto

What child in Palo Alto doesn’t love painting ceramics? It is a fun activity that will keep them busy for a few hours and leave them with a masterpiece they can save! Lucky for us, there are plenty of places to paint pottery in the Palo Alto and Menlo Park area. Color Me Mine and Create it Ceramics are great to name a few locations!

Image from partywirks.com

Here are some pottery painting themed math problems to do with your child before heading to Create it Ceramics in Palo Alto!

1. You choose to paint a baseball and your brother chooses to paint a seahorse. For yours, you want to use white, black, and red paint. Your brother wants to use green, purple, blue, and yellow paint.

a) If your paint bottles and your brother’s paint bottles are out on the table and you choose one bottle of paint, what is the probability that the paint is one of your colors?

b) If the paint bottles are on the table, what is the probability that you will choose the yellow paint?

For more math problems and fun, check out Mathnasium of Palo Alto-Menlo Park: http://www.mathnasium.com/paloalto-menlopark

 

Probability Word Problems in Atherton

In another wonderful book in the Pigs Will Be Pigs math series, Pigs at Odds by Amy Axelrod helps children in Atherton and the rest of the Bay Area to learn basic probability. When the Pig family goes to the county fair, there are many fun and exciting games to play. With the chance of winning prizes in certain games, probability principles are at play. When the pigs decide to play spin the wheel, odds otherwise known as a probability problem is particularly apparent. Mr. Pig spins the wheel several times, but he still does not spin and land on a whinning space. In this scenario, the probability of landing on a winning space is likely poor due to his experience. To be certain, Axelrod provides questions at the end of the story for your child to answer this question based on the information provided in the story. There is also a useful definition and example explaining what probability is and when it should be used. The Pigs series does not fail to disappoint and Axelrod delivers another helpful and interesting pig math story. I recommend Pigs at Odds to all young children in the Menlo Park and Atherton area who are beginning to learn the basics of probability.

Image from educatorsoutlet.com

Menlo Park Students Apply Math Skills in Le Boulanger

Le Boulanger, Menlo Park

If you love visiting the shops, cafe’s and restaurants along Santa Cruz Avenue in Menlo Park as much as I do, you have probably heard of Le Boulanger. Bakeries such as Le Boulanger are great places to go enjoy a delicious meal and encourage your children to apply their mathematical knowledge. Practice probability and proportions with the exercise ideas below.

by Mathin’ Catherin, March 25, 2013

Soups, Sandwiches, and Probability

MenuI visited Le Boulanger the other day and came up with some great math problems your math-crazed kid can do to apply their knowledge to the real world. Le Boulanger has great sandwiches, soups, and salads. Look at the menu and see what proportion of the salads have chicken in them. Alternatively, if you get a sandwich, cut it into quarters and ask your child how much is left after you have each had a quarter.  Speaking of sandwiches, look at the menu and see how many sandwiches have cheese in them, and how many different types of cheeses does Le Boulanger offer in their sandwiches. Ask your child what the probability of randomly choosing a sandwich with cheese in it. Follow that idea even further and explore what the probability of randomly choosing a sandwich with jack cheese. The possibilities are endless!

Time for Dessert

If you love dessert, you will love these problem ideas. If one chocolate croissant costs $2.65, how much would two cost? Or, if I wanted 1 bear claw ($2.65 each) and 2 chocolate croissants, how much, to the nearest dollar, would it cost. When you are looking in the display of pastries, getting ready to order, count how many pastries have fruit in them, how many have chocolate? Take those numbers and create a proportion of pastries with chocolate, and the proportion of pastries that have fruit in them. Make sure to taste all the pastries you are calculating the proportions for — yummy!SAMSUNG