Organization and Planning Use partial decks of cards and a coin, or spreadsheet software, to generate a random set of latitude and longitude coordinates. Zoomable maps available on the World Wide Web or downloaded maps provide alternatives to the globe for determining if a point hits water or land. Objectives Students reinforce the technique of using a Monte-Carlo method to make discoveries. Students learn about simple, random samples.
Students develop a deeper understanding of how to assure samples are representative.
Students learn that randomized, larger, higher-resolution samples yield more accurate results. Students learn about improving results by using higher-fidelity models. The decks are kept separate from one another during the activity. Replace any drawn cards and reshuffle the decks. Replace any drawn cards and reshuffle.