Permutations And Combinations permutations activity1

=Activity - Create-a-Bear Permutations=

Estimated Time
40 min

Materials/ Resources needed

 * Blank Paper
 * Pencils
 * Colored pencils, crayons, or markers
 * Clear bags for paper manipulatives
 * Paper manipulatives copied, cut and placed in plastic bags

Prerequisites/Instructions, if any

 * Today the students will be working at the Create-a-Bear store in the mall. They will be creating a display to show all of the little children how they can dress the bears.
 * The big decision is this: in what order do you want to line the bears up in the display?

Process (How to do the activity)

 * 1) Set the stage for the students as if they are working at the "Create-a-Bear" store in the mall. Their job is to make a poster showing all of the possible ways the bears can be placed in a line (permutations).*Use the paper bears to discover all of the possible orders in which you can put them in line. Suggestion: use three bears to begin with, then more or less.
 * Organize the different arrangements so that patterns can be easily detected using a chart, organized list, or other model.
 * Record all of the possible permutations (order in which they can be arranged) in an organized fashion using a tree diagram, organized list, table, picture, etc.


 * 1) Have students work in groups or individually to use the paper bears to find all of the orders in which the bears can be arranged in line if there are 3 bears. (You may change the number as desired.)
 * 2) Have students record their results as a tree diagram, orga¬nized list, chart, etc., on the blank paper. It's important that the students see a connection between the manipulatives and the diagrams they create.
 * 3) Discuss the mathematical patterns that exist in this problem

Developmental Questions (What discussion questions)

 * 1) What is the task did you got here?
 * 2) How many bears are to be arranged on the display board?
 * 3) What are the colors of bears?

Activity Keywords
To link back to the concept page Permutations_And_Combinations