Scrabble tiles

Scrabble tiles

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources

In the game Scrabble, tiles are placed on a board to make words.

On each tile is a letter and in the bottom right-hand corner its score.

Below are the Scrabble tiles Sue has got left.


a)

If Sue picks one of these tiles at random, what is the probability that its score is
 
 
i)
 
ii)
exactly 1 point? __________
 
less than 3 points? __________
 
b)
If two tiles are picked at random, what is the probability that their combined score is exactly 4 points?
 
__________
Task administration: 
This task is completed with pencil and paper only.
Level:
5
Curriculum info: 
Maths, Statistics, Probability
Keywords: 
probability, combinations
Description of task: 
Students calculate the probability of randomly choosing certain scrabble letters, or combinations of letters.
Learning Progression Frameworks
This resource can provide evidence of learning associated with
Interpreting statistical and chance situations, set 5
within the Mathematics Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 
  Y10 (10/98)
a) i)


ii)

 or or 0.5 (accept 50%)

or 0.75

 very easy


very easy
b)   or or 0.33 (accept 33%) very difficult
Diagnostic and formative information: 
  Common error Likely reason
b) or Counts only 4 combinations of letters rather than 6.
b) or