Permutations and Combinations

3rd grade

What 3rd graders need to be able to do…

Know if: order matters or order doesn’t matter

Solve: choose your strategy but be organized

Crazy Sock Day• Mom found a blue, a purple, a pink, a red, a

white and a striped sock behind the dryer. Molly wants to wear 2 of the socks to Crazy Sock Day. How many different pairs of socks can she make?

Remember…….

• Third graders need to be able to decide…

Flowers for your teacher

Mrs. McCain likes flowers. Her students brought her a white daisy, a purple daisy and a pink carnations. Her vase is only big enough for 2 flowers. How many ways could she put the flowers in the vase?

Remember…….

• Third graders need to be able to decide…

Three friends _________________, _________________ and _____________________ were in a race one Saturday.

Ribbons were given for First (blue), Second (red) and Third (green) place. What are all of the ways the children could have been awarded the ribbons?

Remember…….

• Third graders need to be able to decide…

Election Time

_________________ , ______________and ________________

Were competing for President and Vice President of their classroom.

How many ways could the children have been elected for President and Vice President?

Remember…….

• Third graders need to be able to decide…

So what do you remember from yesterday??????

• You will work in groups solving 4 problems. •You will need to be able to tell if order matters.•You will need to practice being organized.

Jeremy has a passenger car, a coal car, and a box car in his model train set. How many way can he arrange the cars behind the engine?

What is the probability that the coal car or the box car will be last?

Remember…….

• Third graders need to be able to decide…

Pauli’s Pizza Palace list four different toppings for their pizzas; pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, and onions. Thalia wants a pizza with three different toppings. How many different three topping pizzas could she order?

What is the probability that Thalia will order a pizza with 2 meats?

Remember…….

• Third graders need to be able to decide…

Andy finds 3 candy bars in his lunchbox- a Snickers, a Reese Cup and a Milky Way. If he can eat one for his mid morning snack and one for his afternoon snack, what are all of the different ways he can eat his candy bars?

Remember…….

• Third graders need to be able to decide…

Family Vacation

Billy could take two items in the car on the family trip. His choices were a book, a video game, a magazine and an mp3 player. How many different choices of two items does he have?

What is the probability that he will have something electronic?

Remember…….

• Third graders need to be able to decide…

Check- Up5-Piece of cake4-I’m OK- need a bit more practice3- I think I have it- need a lot more practice2- I am confused1- I really don’t understand