Compound Probability

Seventh Grade Math

Use this math lesson to introduce compound events! Students will build on their understanding of probability as
they learn how to find the sample space and probability of compound events given real-world examples.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to determine the sample spaces of compound events.

Students will be able to calculate compound probabilities.

Materials and preparation Key terms

Class set of Sample Spaces of Compound compound probability

Events worksheet compound events
Class set of Probabilities of Compound Events sample space
worksheet
Whiteboard (and/or projector/document
camera)
Whiteboard markers
1–2 pieces of paper per student
Six-sided die
One container with four different pieces of
candy in it
One container with four strips of paper labeled
A, B, C, and D in it
Highlighters, markers, or colored pencils (for
Support section)
Coin (for Support section)

Attachments

Sample Spaces of Compound Events (PDF)

Probabilities of Compound Events (PDF)

Introduction (5 minutes)

Prior to teaching this lesson, make sure you have introduced how to find simple probabilities to your
students. Students should know the terms outcomes, events, and sample space.
Put three different pieces of candy in a container, and show students the container. Ask students to
independently find the probability of randomly selecting one specific piece of candy and write that
probability on a sheet of paper.
Show students a six-sided die. Ask students to independently find the probability of rolling a 5 and write
that probability on the sheet of paper.
Ask students to share their answers.

Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling (10 minutes)

Tell students that the probabilities they found in the Introduction are called simple probabilities. Note that
each of those events by themselves are called simple events. Explain that in today's lesson, students will
be finding compound probabilities.
Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/
Find worksheets, games, lessons & more at education.com/resources
© 2007 - 2022 Education.com
 Define compound probability as the probability of a combination of two or more simple events. Tell
students that when we combine two or more simple events, we get compound events. Explain that
randomly selecting a piece of candy from a container and rolling a die together are compound events.
Remind students of the ratio they use to find simple probability: the number of favorable outcomes over
the number of outcomes in the sample space. Tell students they can use the same process for finding
probabilities of compound events.
Model how to find the sample space for selecting a candy from the container and rolling a die. Show this
using a table, a tree diagram, and an organized list. Emphasize that each method shows the same
sample space with 18 possible outcomes.
Explain that once you've listed the events in the sample space, you can find the probability of a specific
outcome. Model how to find the probability of randomly selecting a specific piece of candy from the
container and rolling a 5 on the die.
Direct students to turn to a partner and find some more compound probabilities: randomly selecting one
piece of candy and then rolling a 3, randomly selecting another piece of candy and rolling a 1, and
randomly selecting a third piece of candy and rolling a number greater than 4. Come back together and
have students model how to find each probability.

Guided Practice (10 minutes)

Hand out the Sample Spaces of Compound Events worksheet to your students.
Have students work with their partners to complete this worksheet. Monitor students’ progress as they
complete the worksheet.

Independent working time (20 minutes)

Hand out the Probabilities of Compound Events worksheet to your students.

Have students work independently on these problems while you monitor student progress.
After 15 minutes, ask students which problems were most challenging. Go over answers for those
problems with the class.

Differentiation

Support:

Provide manipulatives (e.g., die, coin) to struggling students to help them create the sample spaces.
Provide highlighters or markers to struggling students so that they can highlight favorable outcomes on
their lists, tree diagrams, and/or tables on the Probabilities of Compound Events worksheet.
If students are struggling to solve the Probabilities of Compound Events worksheet independently, have
them complete the problems with a partner.

Enrichment:

If students finish the Probabilities of Compound Events worksheet early, challenge them to come up with
a method for determining the number of outcomes in the sample space of compound events without
using a list, table, or tree diagram. Encourage students to look at the sample spaces on the worksheets
they've completed and try their method on those problems.
Have students create their own compound probability problems. Challenge students to create compound
events by combining three simple events.

Assessment (10 minutes)

Show students a container with four different pieces of candy in it and a container with strips of paper
labeled A, B, C, and D in it.
Ask students to find the sample space of selecting a candy from the first container and selecting a letter
from the second container. Ask students to also write the number of outcomes in the sample space.
Ask for the probability of randomly selecting a specific piece of candy and randomly selecting a specific
letter. Students should write their answers to this problem on the same sheet of paper.
Collect this assessment to gauge student understanding from this lesson.
Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/
Find worksheets, games, lessons & more at education.com/resources
© 2007 - 2022 Education.com
Review and closing (5 minutes)

After you have collected the assessments, have a student explain how they found the number of
outcomes in the sample space and the probability for the assessment problems.

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

Find worksheets, games, lessons & more at education.com/resources
© 2007 - 2022 Education.com
Name __________________________________________________ Date __________________________ Page 1

Sample Spaces of
Compound Events
The sample space of an event is the set of all possible outcomes. To find sample spaces of compound events, you
can use tree diagrams, tables, or organized lists.

Let’s try it!

Find the sample space of spinning the spinner below and flipping a coin.

1 2

3
The spinner can land on 1, 2, or 3. The coin can land on heads (H) or tails (T).

Tree Diagram Table Organized list

1 2 3 Heads Tails {(1, H), (1, T),
1 1, H 1, T (2, H), (2, T),
2 2, H 2, T (3, H), (3, T)}
H T H T H T
3 3, H 3, T
1, H 1, T 2, H 2, T 3, H 3, T

The tree diagram, table, and organized list all show that there are 6 possible outcomes in the sample space.

Find the sample space. Use a tree diagram, table, or organized list to help. Then write the number of possible
outcomes in the sample space.

1. Find the sample space of flipping two coins.

There are

_________
possible
outcomes in the
sample space.

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

Find worksheets, games, lessons & more at education.com/resources
© 2007 - 2022 Education.com
Name __________________________________________________ Date __________________________ Page 2

Sample Spaces of Compound Events

Keep going! Find the sample spaces. Use a tree diagram, table, or organized list to help. Then write the number
of possible outcomes in the sample space.

2. Find the sample space of spinning the spinner below and flipping a coin.

1 2
There are
4 3
_________
possible
outcomes in the
sample space.

3. Find the sample space of flipping a coin and rolling a six-sided die.

There are

_________
possible
outcomes in the
sample space.

4. Find the sample space of spinning the spinner below and rolling a six-sided die.

A B There are
C _________
possible
outcomes in the
sample space.

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

Find worksheets, games, lessons & more at education.com/resources
© 2007 - 2022 Education.com
Name __________________________________________________ Date __________________________ Page 3

Sample Spaces of Compound Events

Keep going! Find the sample spaces. Use a tree diagram, table, or organized list to help. Then write the number
of possible outcomes in the sample space.

5. Find the sample space of spinning the two spinners below.

1 2 A B There are

3 D C _________
possible
outcomes in the
sample space.

6. Find the sample space of rolling two six-sided dice.

There are

_________
possible
outcomes in the
sample space.

Challenge yourself! Find the sample space. Use a tree diagram or organized list to help. Then write
the number of possible outcomes in the sample space.

7. Find the sample space of flipping three coins.

There are

_________
possible
outcomes in the
sample space.

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

Find worksheets, games, lessons & more at education.com/resources
© 2007 - 2022 Education.com
Name ________________________________________________ Date _____________________ Page 1

PROBABILITIES OF COMPOUND EVENTS

You can find the probability of compound events in the same way you find the probability of
simple events! Write it as a fraction with the number of favorable outcomes over the number
of possible outcomes in the sample space.

Let’s try it! Making a table is one way to determine all of the possible
outcomes in the sample space.
You flip a coin twice. What is
the probability you get tails The table shows the 4 outcomes
Heads Tails in the sample space. The outcome
both times?
(H) (T)
H, T means you get heads on the
first flip and tails on the second flip.
Heads
H, H H, T
(H)
There is 1 favorable outcome: T, T.

Tails
T, H T, T So, the probability of getting two
(T) 1
tails when you flip a coin twice is 4 .

Find each probability by first determining the sample space. Use a table, tree diagram, or organized
list to help you. Write each probability as a simplified fraction.

1) Owen spins the spinner below twice. What is the probability that he lands on 1 and then 3?

1 2

2) Tanesha flips a coin and then rolls a six-sided die. What is the probability that the coin lands on
heads and the die lands on 4?

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

Find worksheets, games, lessons & more at education.com/resources
© 2007 - 2022 Education.com
 Name ________________________________________________ Date _____________________ Page 2

PROBABILITIES OF COMPOUND EVENTS

Keep going! Find each probability by first determining the sample space. Use a table, tree diagram, or
organized list to help you. Write each probability as a simplified fraction.

3) Sabrina spins the spinner below and then rolls a six-sided die. What is the probability that the
spinner lands on B and the die lands on an even number?

A B
C D

4) Kai is playing a game where he randomly picks one tile from each of the bags below. What is the
probability that Kai picks a vowel and a number greater than 1?

1
1 1 22 35
3
4 5
2 6 4
33 7 4
6 6 74 808 9 10 5
7 28 1 5 9
1 9 10
89 10
7
6
2
3
7 4
8 1 5 5
9 2 4 twice. What is the probability she rolls two odd numbers?
5) 6
10 Ava rolls a six-sided die
3 3 5
3 2 44 10
1 1 7 28 59
2 3 4 1 9
6 7 8 5 79 10810
6 7 8 9 10 6

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

Find worksheets, games, lessons & more at education.com/resources
© 2007 - 2022 Education.com