Plinko
Estimated Time: 90 minutes
Lesson Objectives:
- The students will explore normal distributions and population percentages.
- The students will determine if a given set of data forms a normal distribution.
Resources for this lesson:
Before you begin, download your Algebra II Journal 
for Plinko You will be completing activities in the journal throughout this lesson.
Visit this section on each page to access information about key terms and other resources to help facilitate the lesson.
> Glossary
> Calculator Resources
> Teacher Resources: Instructional Notes
Key Common Core State Standards:
S.ID.4: Use the mean and standard deviation of a data set to fit it to a normal distribution and to estimate population percentages. Recognize that there are data sets for which such a procedure is not appropriate. Use calculators, spreadsheets, and tables to estimate areas under the normal curve.
Supporting Common Core State Standards:
6.SP.5c: Giving quantitative measures of center (median and/or mean) and variability (interquartile range and/or mean absolute deviation), as well as describing any overall pattern and any striking deviations from the overall pattern with reference to the context in which the data were gathered.
7.SP.3: Informally assess the degree of visual overlap of two numerical data distributions with similar variabilities, measuring the difference between the centers by expressing it as a multiple of a measure of variability. For example, the mean height of players on the basketball team is 10 cm greater than the mean height of players on the soccer team, about twice the variability (mean absolute deviation) on either team; on a dot plot, the separation between the two distributions of heights is noticeable.
Standards for Mathematical Practices:
1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
4. Model with mathematics.
5. Use appropriate tools strategically.
7. Look for and make use of structure.
8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
