About "Classroom Quests"

"Classroom Quests" is a special series on my VRGetaway blog. As a creator passionate about transporting people to beautiful, magical worlds, I bring that same spirit of adventure and storytelling into my other passion: teaching. These posts are the official "guidebooks" for my thematic, engaging, and dragon-worthy math lessons, designed to inspire other educators to turn their classrooms into an epic quest!

 

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🌮  The Ultimate Probability Unit: Food Truck Festival

4 Days. 1 Festival. Zero Boring Dice Problems.

"Probability is usually where students check out. It feels abstract. 'Why do I care

 about drawing marbles from a bag?' So, we ditched the marbles and brought in

 Tacos. Welcome to the Food Truck Festival Unit."                          - Director Stone

The Ultimate Probability Unit: Food Truck Festival

🎒 The Complete Unit 5 Toolkit

Don't want to download files one by one? Grab the entire Teacher Resource Folder. Includes all HTML activities, printable worksheets, slide decks, and the final exam.

📂 Download Full Unit Folder

(Contains: Day 1-3 Activities, Intro Slides, & Assessment)

🎒 The Master Armory  

Here is every file you need to run the full 4-Day Unit. Grab them all!

• 🌮
  Day 1: The Data Bridge (Activity)
  Download Worksheet | Download Station Manifests | Daily Quiz 1
• 🥤
  Day 2: Secret Menu (Activity)
  Download Menu Board & Cards | Daily Quiz 2
• 🎪
  Day 3: Carnival Midway (Activity)
  Download Booth Cards | Prop List |  Keys| Daily Quiz 3 (Email me for Interactive Slide show)
• 🏆
  Day 4: Certification Exam (Assessment)
  Download SBG Unit Test

📢 The Pre-Shift Huddle

"Crew, listen up! The Health Inspector is five minutes out. The grill is hot, the lines are long, and the orders are messy. But we don't panic in this kitchen. We follow the protocol. We trust our training. Stand up, take a breath, and tell yourself:"

"I GOT THIS. I CAN DO THIS."

(Repeat 3x. Loud enough to scare the Health Inspector.)

🌮 Day 1: The Data Bridge

Standards 5A & 5B: Organize raw data into Tables & Venn Diagrams.

The Hook: "The Grand Opening"

The Strategy (Direct Instruction d=0.59 & Scaffolding d=0.82): We start with a "Messy Receipt" stack. Students are overwhelmed (intentional). Then, we introduce the "Data Bridge" protocol—a specific color-coding method to turn chaos into order.

Interactive Lesson Slides Connectiing Venn Diagrams and Frequency Tables

Email me at trailgirl360@gmail.com if you want the Interactive Slides for this unit.

KEY TEACHING MOVE: Color Coding

Using highlighters connects the visual brain to the math brain.

1. THE RED BOX (Intersection):
Where the "Yes Glazed" and "Yes Sprinkles" columns crash. That's the middle of the Venn.

2. THE BLUE BOXES (The Onlys):
This is the hardest part. Show them that "Glazed Only" means "Yes Glazed" but "NO Sprinkles." It creates a physical map for the math.

📸 Day 1 Stations

Images for Probability Food Truck Stations

Images for Stations

🏆 Level Clear: Self-Assessment (d=1.33)

Ask students to rate themselves 1-4. To earn a 4, they must answer the CTA Question:

Cognitive Task Analysis Question: "Look at your Venn Diagram. Point to the 'Both' section. Why do we SUBTRACT this number when calculating the 'Only' sections?"

🥤 Day 2: The Secret Menu

Standard 5C: Master Conditional Probability ("Given").

The Strategy: "Shrink the World"

(Email me at trailgirl360@gmail.com for Interactive Slides for this lesson.)

Interactive Slides for Intro

The Story: "The food trucks have a Secret Menu (Rainbow Slushies), but you need the passcode. The only way to get the code is to solve the 'Given' challenges."

The "Blinder" Technique (Concept Mapping d=0.64):

Conditional probability is tough because students forget to change the denominator. We use physical "Blinders" (hands or paper strips).

• Teacher: "Given they ordered a Burger..."
• Students: *Physically cover up the Tacos row.*
• Teacher: "Now, what is the probability they got a Soda? Look only at the visible numbers."

This tactile move forces them to see the New Total immediately.

🏆 Level Clear: Self-Assessment (d=1.33)

Cognitive Task Analysis Question: "In the question 'Given they ordered a Burger,' which number becomes your NEW Total Denominator? Point to it on the table."

🎪 Day 3: The Carnival Midway

The Probability Carnival Day 3

Standard 5D: Compound Events & Multiplication Rule.

Independent and Dependent Probability Tree Interactive Lesson

Independent and Dependent Probability Tree Interactive Lesson

Email trailgirl360@gmail.com for the Interactive Slides for this unit. 

Probability Carnival Assignment 

Booths vs. Stations (Gamification d=0.50)

Instead of rotating groups (like Day 1), Day 3 is a "Free Roam." Students have a Carnival Pass and visit booths to earn stamps.

• 🦆 The Duck Pond (Dependent): You pick a duck, keep it, then pick another. (Denominator drops!)
• 🎲 High Roller (Independent): Coin flip + Die roll. (Coin doesn't care about the die).
• 🍿 Snack Shack: Spiral review of the Table logic.

🏆 Level Clear: Self-Assessment (d=1.33)

Cognitive Task Analysis Question: "Why did the bottom number of the fraction change in the Duck Pond game, but it stayed the same in the Dice Game?"

🏆: The Certification Exam

Goal: Assessment & Standards-Based Grading.

We finish with the "Official Health Inspector Audit." This isn't just a test; it's a themed document. The grading is broken down by Standard (5A, 5B, 5C, 5D) with a 4-point scale for each, making it easy for students to see exactly where they are "Proficient" and where they are "Novice."

🎬 Director's Notes: Filming the Unit

Want to hype this up? Hattie research shows Teacher Credibility (d=0.90) is massive. When you dress up and create intro videos, you aren't just "being fun"—you are signaling to students that you are a passionate expert worth listening to.

🎭 The Persona: "The Event Coordinator." Stressed but organized.
🧢 Props: Clipboard, Whistle, Visor, and a Highlighter tucked behind your ear.
🎥 Shot Idea: Film yourself in front of a Green Screen with a bustling Food Truck Festival background. Blow the whistle. "People! The Taco line is merging with the Pizza line! We need data NOW!"
🎵 Music Vibe: Upbeat "Street Festival" or "Kitchen Chaos" percussion.

 Performace Review Ticket 

📋 End of Shift Report

Confidential

1. Rate Your Expertise (Hattie d=1.33)

⭐

Line Cook

Needed help with "Given".

⭐⭐

Sous Chef

Can find the new total.

⭐⭐⭐

Head Chef

Crushed the Secret Menu.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Manager

Can teach "Shrink the World".

2. Proof of Expertise (Hattie d=1.29)

In the question "Given they ordered a Burger...", which number becomes your NEW Total Denominator? Explain why we ignore the rest of the table.

🏆 Prize Redemption Counter

Exit Survey

1. How many games did you beat? (Self-Check)

🤡

Rookie

Tricked by the Duck Pond.

🎟️

Player

Can do Coin Flips (Independent).

🎪

Pro

Can do Ducks (Dependent).

🎩

Ringmaster

Beat the Candy Jackpot.

2. The Secret to Winning (Concept Check)

Why did the bottom number of the fraction change in the Duck Pond game (10 -> 9), but stayed the same in the Dice Game (6 -> 6)?

About Director Stone (Shauna)

"Director Stone" is the in-class persona of Shauna, the creator of the popular **VRGetaway YouTube channel**.

Shauna brings her passion for immersive storytelling, "dragon-worthy" adventures, and inspirational messages from her virtual worlds directly into the math classroom. This blog, "Math Adventures," is the practical home for those high-efficacy, story-driven lesson plans.

🧐 Hattie Expert Debrief (For Teachers)

This unit isn't just "fun"—it's scientifically designed to maximize learning impact using these high-effect strategies:

• Self-Reported Grades (d = 1.33): The "Level Clear" rubrics force students to predict their own performance. When tied to the CTA questions, this is the #1 most effective strategy in education.
• Cognitive Task Analysis (d = 1.29): We broke the complex task of "Probability" into visual steps (Day 1 Colors, Day 2 Blinders). This explicit instruction reduces cognitive load significantly.
• Teacher Credibility (d = 0.90): By committing to the bit (Intro Videos, Costumes, Props), you signal competence and passion. Students work harder for teachers they believe in.
• Transfer of Learning (d = 0.86): By moving from Tacos (Day 1) to Ducks (Day 3) to Abstract Data (Day 4), we ensure the math sticks regardless of the context.
• Self-Efficacy (d = 0.92): The "Pre-Game Ritual" lowers the anxiety barrier. Believing "I Can Do This" is half the battle in math.
• Scaffolding (d = 0.82): The Color Coding is the bridge. It gives students a visual anchor (Red = Middle) before they have to deal with the abstract math of the formulas.
• Peer Tutoring/Review (d = 0.53): The "Quality Control Audit" forces students to teach each other. By checking the "Subtraction Logic" on a peer's paper, they reinforce their own understanding of mutually exclusive regions.
• Worked Example (d = 0.57): The "Donut Dash" example is critical. You model the *expert thinking* (finding the Intersection first) *before* releasing them to the chaotic stations.
• Success Criteria (d = 0.75): The "Level Clear" rubric makes the learning goals visible. Students know exactly what "Master Chef" performance looks like.

👇 Director's Question

"What is your favorite 'Real World' example for Dependent Events?"

Is it the classic 'Marble Bag', a 'Deck of Cards', or something crazier?
Drop a comment below—I need more booth ideas for next year!