• Number: Operations, Fractions
• Probability:
• Geometry: Shape
Spinners fit into a similar catagory to dice. Basically spinners add randomness to the generation of numbers, colours or shapes. Spinners may be substituted for dice and vice versa to generate numbers.
Spinners may be used as part of a game scenario in much the same way that dice help to generate moves.
Spinners Videos
Mathematical Language
Chance, maybe, possibly, probably, probability, certain, impossible.
Using Spinners
Probability
Often spinners are used to generate data for chance experiments. It is important that students are given biased spinners as well as fair spinners so they can judge whether a spinner is fair or not. The Probability Spinner Board shown above includes biased spinners, that is, the chances of spinning a particular colour are not the same.
Number
Anything that you can do with dice may be emulated with spinners. The Number Spinner Board replaces the need to have a set of four, six, eight, ten, twelve and twenty-sided dice.
Place Value
Spinners may be used to show the Hundreds Tens Ones link to Place Value. Six-digit numbers may be generated by placing two of these spinners side-by-side.
Specialty Spinners
Spinners may be used to generate words. For example, the Attribute Block Spinner.
Typical Classroom Requirements
A class set:
Support and Complementary Materials
