Potentialities of the game Catan on the creation of probabilistic notions

Abstract

This article recaptures and deepens the discussions initiated on the research for the final paper of the first author’s graduation, under the guidance of the second author. The main goal of the research is to investigate possible contributions of the games Catan and Pindorama on the production of mathematical knowledge, and in this article, the focus is directed particularly towards matters involving probabilistic notions. The data analyzed was produced through a pedagogical practice held with 9th grade students, in the Mathematics Laboratory of a public school in Porto Alegre. The research was developed  from a qualitative perspective, due to the interest in the processes carried out by the students. In the data analysis, contributions of these games to the production of some mathematical notions were identified, such as strategic thinking, modeling of situations from reality to the context of the game, in addition to matters like competition and cooperation between the players. In particular, the development of probabilistic concepts is highlighted, such as understanding the notions of sample space, events and probability calculation, comparing the chances of occurrence of certain events, and the perception of the random factor present in games.