Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to understand and apply basic statistics concepts through fun activities related to the board game Ticket to Ride.

Materials and Prep

• Pen and paper
• Access to a computer or smartphone to play Ticket to Ride online
• Prior knowledge of basic addition and subtraction

Activities

1. Count the Train Cards

   Count the number of train cards of each color in your Ticket to Ride game box. Make a tally chart to record the counts. Which color has the most cards? Which color has the fewest?

2. Destination Tickets

   Choose 5 destination tickets from the Ticket to Ride game. Calculate the total distance you need to travel to complete all the tickets. Add up the values on each ticket to find the total. Can you find a shorter route that covers the same destinations?

3. Roll the Dice

   Roll two dice and record the numbers that come up. Repeat this 20 times. Create a bar graph to represent the frequency of each sum. Which sum appeared most frequently? Which sum appeared least frequently?

4. City Populations

   Research the populations of different cities mentioned in Ticket to Ride. Make a comparison chart to show which city has the largest population and which has the smallest population. Calculate the difference in population between the two cities.

Talking Points

• "Statistics is a way of collecting, organizing, and interpreting data."
• "In Ticket to Ride, we can use statistics to analyze different aspects of the game."
• "Tally charts help us count and compare the number of train cards of each color."
• "Destination tickets in Ticket to Ride represent different routes we need to complete. We can add up the values on the tickets to find the total distance."
• "Bar graphs are a visual way to show the frequency of different sums when rolling dice."
• "Comparing city populations can give us an idea of how crowded or spacious different cities are."
• "Calculating the difference in population between two cities helps us understand the gap in size."