Let It Slide: A Measurement Game

Another goodie from Education.com

What you need:
deck of cards
ruler
table about a meter in length (or masking tape to mark off a meter in length)
paper and pencil


How to Play
1.  Mark a line one meter from the edge of your table.  Or use a table one meter in length.  If necessary, mark a 1 meter square playing area on the floor with tape.

2.  Each player draws 3 cards from the deck.  They take turns sliding their cards along the table.  You must release your card by the time you reach the tape marking the edge of the 1 meter playing field.  The goal is to have the card land touching the edge of the table - or the 1 meter mark.

3.  Measure the distance each card is from the meter mark using a ruler.  Students should measure in either centimeters or inches (teacher assigns).  If the card falls off the table, or slides past the border, then the student records 20 as their score.  Players should measure their total number of centimeters or inches and record them for the round.

4.  Play for 5 rounds.  Add up your totals (calculators may be used at teacher's discretion).  The lowest score wins!

Give Me a Clue

This game comes from Education.com

You Need a deck of cards.  Remove face cards and jokers.

1.  Take turns being the dealer and the guesser.

2.  The dealer draws 2 cards from a shuffled deck.  After examining the cards, they must give 2 clues that involve a math operation and relate the cards to one another.  For example, if the dealer has a 3 and a 5, their clues might be:
a.  The sum of the cards is 8.
b.  When you double one of the cards, you get 10.

3.  Now the guessers tries to identify the value of the 2 cards.  If they are unable to guess correctly, the dealer gives another clue.
For example:  The difference is 2.

4.  When the numbers are guessed, switch roles and play again.



Variations:  Allow children to choose 3 cards.  Even more advanced?  Let them choose 4 cards.

Count Down to Zero

Count Down to Zero

This week we are practicing 2-digit subtraction with our game.

What do I need?

1 deck of cards

2 children

math journals (or other paper)

How to play

1.  Deal 13 cards face down on the table.

2.  Each player creates a scorecard in their math journals.  Write Count Down to Zero as the title.

Begin with the number 99 at the top of the page.

3.  First player chooses either 1 or 2 cards from the face down cards.  The player adds the two cards together (face cards = 10).  Then the player must subtract that sum from his total (99).  The difference is his new score.  The two cards go in a discard pile.

4.  Second player repeats the same procedure.

5.  Play continues until the 13 cards are gone.  Deal out another 13 cards and continue playing until one player reaches 0.

6.  Players must reach 0 exactly.  If the cards or card turned over total more than the player's score, turn the cards back over and forfeit your turn.  At this point in the game, players need to begin remembering where the cards are on the card matrix.  

7.  If necessary, players may deal out more cards into the matrix as needed.  (For example, if a player's total is 2, and there are no aces or 2s in the matrix, then players should add needed numbers and shuffle the matrix so the cards are hidden.)

Ultimate Version

1.  Play the game in the same way, except begin the game with 200 points.  Allow players to choose 1, 2, or 3 cards in each turn.

Win 50

Here's an oldie, but a goodie.

Each player needs a handful of place value blocks, 10s and 1s.  Players will also need a place value mat and a shared set of 2 dice.

First player rolls the dice, adds the sum, and gets that many ones for his board.
Each player gets a turn to do the same.  I ask kids to play in groups of 2 or 3.  Larger groups work, but then the kids spend too much time waiting for a turn instead of using the manipulatives.
On the second turn, some children will have 10 or more in the 1s section of their place value mat.  They must trade 10 ones for a 10s rod any time they have more than 9.
Continue play until one player wins by reaching 50 first.

Pig

Pig

We are playing Pig this week.  I did not enter my game for last week, because I gave my kids  a Geoboard Challenge instead.  They like Geoboards, but were excited to play a new game this week.

Your students practice basic facts and 2 digit addition while playing Pig.  There is a variation for subtraction also.  I find it particularly interesting to observe the little gamblers in my class with this game.

Materials:

2-3 players
Math journals for keeping score
1 number cube for each group

How to Play:

1.  Roll die to see who goes first.

2.  The first player rolls the die.  If he rolls a 1, his turn is over and his score is 0.
If he rolls any other number, he begins scoring with that number.  The first player can
roll again or keep that score.  Add any additional rolls to the score.  (Most of my second
graders are adding these digits mentally.  However, a few are writing the numbers down to
help with addition.)  His turn ends when he stops rolling, calls Pig, and writes down his score for that turn, or... when he rolls a 1, and his score for the turn is 0.

3.  The second player goes next.  She rolls in the same manner, and writes down her score at
the end of her turn.

4.  Play continues in the same manner with players writing their new scores under earlier totals.
Remind the kids to write their scores carefully with tens and ones aligned to make addition easier.

5.  The first player to reach 100 is the winner.


Variations:
1.  Start the scorecards at 100.  Add the total on the dice in the same way as above.  Subtract
your score from the total.  First player to 0 is the winner.

2.  Play teacher against the class using a smartboard number cube if you have one.  Students
should all keep track of the score in their journals.  Students also take turns deciding when to
call Pig.

4 Strikes and You're Out

This is a great 2-digit addition game.  It's not mine originally, but I don't remember where I learned it.

Kids should play with a partner.
One partner (the builder) writes a secret math problem for 2-digit addition in his math journal.

The second partner (the guesser) draws a game board.

And writes the digits 0 - 9.

The game is similar to hangman.
The guesser chooses one digit and calls it out.
If the digit is part of the problem, the builder writes it into each square in which it belongs.
If the digit is not part of the problem, tally a strike at the top of the page.
Cross out the digit so that you know it has been played.

Here's an example:
  26
+37
  63

If the first digit chosen is 1, the builder marks a strike at the top of the page.  1 is crossed off the digit list so the guesser remembers that it has been played.
Assume the next digit chosen is 2.  The builder writes a 2 in the first square of the game board.  2 is crossed off the digit list.
If the guesser chooses 3 next, the builder writes it in two squares of the problem.

There are good strategies involved here.  Students will guess randomly at first, but soon, they are finding sums, missing addends, and deciding whether regrouping is involved.

After the game is over, switch parts and play again.


Variations:
If 3 players are playing together, one is the builder and 2 guessers take turns.

Problems and game boards can get bigger.  Try 3 digit addition.

Evens or Odds

This game will appeal to fans of Rock, Paper, Scissors.  The boys in my room are loud when they play this game, and they love to be loud.

Here's how to play.  Pair up your students.  One group may have 3 kids, but make sure those kids are able to add 3 numbers together.

1.  Players decide who will be "odds" and who will be "evens".  Each creates a score card in their journal.  A simple T chart will work fine.

2.  Both players bounce their fist on their legs or tables 3 times saying "Evens or Odds, Shoot".  When they say "Shoot", both players should shoot out any number of fingers between 0 or 5.  

3.  Players add together the numbers from each player's hand.

4.  If the sum is odd, the "odd player" adds the sum to his score.  If the sum is even, the "even player" adds the score to her score. 

5.  Repeat steps 2 - 4 until one player reaches 50.

Challenge Version

Play the same game, except each player uses 2 fists.  Add together the fingers from all 4 hands to get the sum.  This version will require some double digit addition.