This year our math department switched it up a bit.

We decided to do our unit on probability early on in the year. This unit is usually saved for the very end and we have to truncate it because there’s never enough time to really get through it.

However, since probability is something we use every single day, or close to, we thought it should get some more importance. It’s the unit that can answer the dreaded question, “When are we ever going to use this in life?”

The first day of probability, I asked my students what they think the odds are of winning the lottery. They took some good guesses and then we looked it up:

1 in 28 million (Lotto Max in Canada).

I then asked what are the odds of getting struck by lightning in your lifetime:

1 in 3000

And then we looked at other odds– winning a rock paper scissors game, finding a coin on the ground, me catching them in a lie, etc.

This lesson was meant to show that thinking mathematically can help you make better decisions instead of emotionally fueled ones that are guaranteed to work against you.

Then we spend the entire unit running theoretical probability versus experimental probability. What students learn (hopefully) in the end is that given enough time, the theoretical and the experimental lineup with each other.

In other words, when you actually look at the math behind the world, and the odds, many of our decisions, don’t make sense.

We like to think we’re rational people, but we run on emotions most of the time.

How does this help us in the long run?

One of the challenges, any teacher must face is when a student asks that lovely question: When are we ever going to use this in life?

And sometimes you have to be honest and say the answer is never.

But if you can train yourself to think…

…and have a different mindset when making decisions, being presented information, and needing to analyze it…

You will make better decisions for your own life.

So for return on investment–avoid the lottery.

However, the probability of using any type of education and learning for your future is really high. Whatever the cost time, energy or money, it’s worth it.