Likelihood Language
Use probability language to describe and compare the likelihood of everyday events using words such as certain, likely, even chance, unlikely, impossible
What a learner can do afterwards
- Place five everyday events (e.g. 'the sun will rise tomorrow', 'it will snow in July', 'I'll flip heads') on a scale from impossible to certain
- Use 'likely', 'unlikely', 'certain', 'impossible', and 'even chance' correctly to describe different events
- Explain why pulling a red ball from a bag of mostly red balls is 'likely' but not 'certain'
The lesson
Some things always happen. Some things never happen. And most things sit somewhere in between. To talk about how likely something is, you can use five words: impossible, unlikely, even chance, likely, and certain.
Mia has a bag with 8 red balls and 2 blue balls. She reaches in without looking. Pulling a red ball is likely, because most of the balls are red. But it is not certain, because the blue balls are still in there too.
When you flip a coin, it can land on heads or tails. Both are equally possible, so there is an even chance of getting heads.
Likely does not mean certain. Something very likely can still not happen. Certain means it will always happen, with no exceptions.
Impossible never happens, certain always happens, and unlikely, even chance, and likely sit in between them.
Watch it
Where it sits
Learn first
Nothing; this is a starting point.
This opens up
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.