The Illinois Science Explorers (I-Sci Explorers) program connects University of Illinois researchers with children in the Champaign-Urbana community through hands-on, research-inspired STEAM modules. Designed for grades K–8, these modules turn the latest research into engaging, age-appropriate activities, helping children see themselves as capable and connect to science while developing their passion for it.
Faculty can meet with community engagement specialist Paige Duncan, who helps transform their research into an interactive lesson using cutting edge social and behavioral science principles. The I-Sci team then refines and delivers the activity with local partners, making it easy for researchers to bring their work to life outside the lab.
This month, we’re spotlighting Dr. Ilan Shomorony (assistant professor, electrical & computer engineering), who recently collaborated with Paige to develop a module on probability.
What is your research?
My research involves applying tools from probability theory to study problems in modern data science, such as genomic data analysis and social network data analysis. I have been particularly interested in DNA sequencing technologies and in understanding how much data is required for a given task to be performed reliably. The task could be, for example, determining which mutations are present on a certain gene in someone’s genome, or characterizing which bacteria are present in a given sample. Since DNA sequencing technologies are noisy and the resulting data is inherently random, probabilistic modeling is crucial to analyze these systems and to develop algorithms to process the data in a reliable manner.
What module did you create with Paige?
Paige and I developed a module whose goal is to introduce children to key concepts in probability, such as the probability of an outcome, probability distributions, and expected values. An intuitive grasp of these concepts is important for making decisions when faced with uncertainty in our daily lives. Our module seeks to build that intuition through games based on flipping coins, drawing objects from a jar, and rolling dice. By repeatedly tossing a coin and recording the outcomes, kids develop an understanding of repeated experiments and the law of large numbers. By drawing pompoms of different colors from a jar while keeping their eyes closed, kids develop intuition for how different colors may have different probabilities and how one should predict the most likely outcome. By rolling two dice and recording the sum of the numbers shown, kids can see a bell-like distribution of the outcomes and try to make sense of why some outcomes are more likely than others. These games provide a fun and non-technical way to learn about basic probability and how to reason about randomness.
What was that process like?
The process was very easy and convenient. I had previously led an activity related to probability games at a middle school summer camp, so I had some initial ideas. I met with Paige, described the summer camp experience, and we discussed how to modify the activities for different age ranges. We also brainstormed new ideas of games that would be age appropriate and would develop different probability concepts at different levels based on the age group. After that meeting, Paige prepared a detailed module proposal, broken down by age group, which I reviewed and provided some feedback on. And the I-Sci team took it from there, preparing the materials needed, delivering the activity at the Martens Center, and reporting back on how everything went.
I was very happy with the experience and how the module turned out. Later on, when I was working on an NSF proposal on the topic of analyzing “out-of-order” data, I asked if Paige wanted to be a part of the outreach portion of the proposed work. We had another meeting and decided to include in the proposal the creation of a new module on jigsaw puzzles, shuffling, and randomness. The proposal was recently funded, and I look forward to working on this new module for I-Sci Explorers!
Paige, how did module delivery go?
When we ran the probability module with the 6- and 7-year-olds, the activities turned out to be a fun and engaging way to explore a challenging concept. We started by introducing the word “probability” during snack time, connecting it to everyday examples like weather or snack choices.
The coin flip game came first—each child took turns flipping a coin while we tracked heads and tails on the board. They enjoyed making predictions and watching the results build over time. Next was the pompom game: a jar filled with different colored pompoms, with one color clearly more common. The kids guessed which color they were most likely to pull and compared their predictions to the actual results. The kids had fun reaching their hands into the jar and randomly grabbing a pompom!
To wrap up, the kids had a blast rolling big foam dice, and we recorded each roll on the board to make a class graph. By the end, we had created a simple bell curve, showing how patterns can emerge from chance. Overall, the activities were playful, interactive, and a great introduction to probability!
Learn more about how you can collaborate with I-Sci Explorers.