Games and Activities that Practice Math Skills

Games and Activities that Practice Math Skills

Presented byColleen Serencsits

Tutors of Literacy in the Commonwealth

Please take a handout and a plastic bag.


Purpose of this Session

• To share and try games and activities that practice math skills


Why?• Make practice more interesting, relevant, fun. Why?• Students are more likely to practice.• Help students be more open to thinking about

their choices, what they are doing and why they are making those choices.

• Break up the intensity of learning new information.


Outline• Games with Cards page 1• Games with Dice page 5• Other Games page 8• Commercial Games page 9• Activities page 11• Other Activities for Young Childrenpage 13• Tricks page 14• Additional Handouts page 15• Resources page 25


We will try several games, not in order from the handout.

All the games and activities are described in the handout.


Remember,• Explain to the learner why you are playing the

game or doing the activity.• When you are interacting with learners,

encourage thinking skills.• Talk and ask questions:

– Tell me why you made that choice.– What other moves could you have tried?– Tell/show me how you did that.– Think out loud to model your thoughts.

Games with Cards

Tips for Holding Cards

If someone has trouble holding the cards in a fan, try one of these tips.

• Turn a shoebox upside down.– Place cards in the lip of the upside down lid.

• Hold two plastic lids tightly together with a brass fastener in the center. – Place the cards between the lids.

Other Games

Product Game (page 16) (cream game board provided)• Player A puts a marker on a number in the factor list

across the bottom. • Player B puts a marker on any number in the factor list

(including the same number marked by Player A) and then shades or covers the product of the two factors on the product grid.

• Player A moves either one of the paper clips to another number and then shades or covers the new product.

• The winner is the first player to mark four squares in a row -- up and down, across, or diagonally.

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 12 14

15 16 18 20 21 24

25 27 28 30 32 35

36 40 42 45 48 49

54 56 63 64 72 81

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Product Game

Other Games

Integer Product Game (page 17) (yellow game board)• Player A puts a marker on a number in the factor list

across the bottom. • Player B puts a marker on any number in the factor list

(including the same number marked by Player A) and then shades or covers the product of the two factors on the product grid.

• Player A moves either one of the paper clips to another number and then shades or covers the new product.

• The winner is the first player to mark four squares in a row -- up and down, across, or diagonally.

-36 -30 -25 -24 -20 -18

-16 -15 -12 -10 -9 -8

-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1

1 2 3 4 5 6

8 9 10 12 15 16

18 20 24 25 30 36

Factors: -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6

Other Games

Factor Game (p 15) (gray game board)• Player A (blue) selects a number and colors it.• Player B (green) colors all the proper factors of

player A’s number.• Player B selects a number and colors.• Player A colors all the proper factors of player

B’s number.• Play continues until there are no numbers

remaining with uncolored factors.• The winner is the player with more numbers

colored.

Other Games

Vocabulary Match (page 10) (cream and/or green card)

• Cream cards have – math term on one side in red print– definition of a different term on the opposite side in

black print

• Green cards have– Math problem on one side in black print– Answer to a different problem on the opposite side in

red print

Other Games

Vocabulary Match: to play green cards• Hold the card to look at the red answer.• First player reads black problem on her card.• Player with the correct answer (in red) says the

answer. • That player then turns over her card, and reads

the black problem on her card.• Player with the correct answer says the answer.• Continue until back to the first player.

Other Games

Vocabulary Match: to play cream cards• Hold the card to look at the red answer.• First player reads black definition on his card.• Player with the correct answer (in red) says the

answer. • That player then turns over his card, and reads

the black problem on her card.• Player with the correct answer says the answer.• Continue until back to the first player.

Games with Dice

Power Play (page 7) (scrap paper provided)• Play with two dice. • Goal is to make the largest total after a certain

number of rounds (eight), or to a total (500).• Player 1 rolls two dice.

Make one numbers the base, and the other number the exponent, to make the larger number. Example: Roll 3 and 4. 34 = 81; 43 = 64Player chooses 34. Record the score.

Games with Dice

Dice Tic-Tac-Toe (page 7) (graph paper provided)• The goal is to get three points in a row, column, or

diagonal. • Draw a graph with numbers 1 to 6 on x axis and 1 to 6

on y axis. • Player A rolls two dice.

Use those numbers to plot a point, choosing in which order to plot them. Example: Roll 3 and 4. Plot them as (3,4) or (4,3).

• Players mark their points in different colors, or with circle or square around them to distinguish them.

• Two points may not be plotted at the same location.

Dice Games

Dice Tic-Tac-Toe variation• Draw a graph with numbers

-6 to +6 on x axis and -6 to +6 on y axis. • Player A rolls two dice and two coins.

Heads is +, tails is -

Use those numbers to plot a point, choosing in which order to plot them.

Example: Roll 3 and 4, one head and one tail. Plot choices: (-3,4) (-4,3) (3, -4) (4, -3).

Games with Dice

Fraction Dice Bingo (p7) (blue game board)• Make a five by five gameboard. Mark the

spaces with numbers from the choices listed in the handout.

• Player A rolls two dice. Use the numbers rolled to make a proper or improper fraction. Cover that fraction with a token.

• The goal is to get five in a row, column, or diagonal, or as previously decided.

Fraction Dice Bingo

1/2 1/3 1/4 1/5 1/6

1 1/2 2 1/2 1 1/3 1 2/3 1 1/4

1 1/5 2/3 1 3/4 2/5

3/5 4/5 2 1/2 1 1/2 1

2 3 4 5 6

Games with Dice

Pizza Fractions Game (p7) (white game board)• Play with two dice and the Pizza Fractions Game board. • The goal of the game is to eat (cover) the most pizzas. • Player A rolls two dice, and forms a fraction of the two

numbers. He then colors that fraction of one of the pizzas on the game board. Example: Player roles 1 and 4. He colors one slice of a pizza that is cut into four slices.

• One player may color slices on more than one pizza. • More than one player may color a slice in the same

pizza. • Play continues until all of the pizzas are labeled, or for a

predetermined number of rounds.

Pizza Fractions Game

Games with Dice

Contig (page 5) (cream game board provided)

• Roll three dice.

• Add, subtract, multiply and/or divide the three numbers to produce a number you can cover on the board.

• You score points by covering a number adjacent to a number already covered.

• (or play for four in a row)

Games with Cards

Make 100 p4 (play with blue cards)• Play with cards 1 to 9. • Place the cards face down on the table. • Player 1 draws four cards. He must arrange

those cards in pairs, then add the pairs together to get as close to 100 as possible. For example, he draws 2, 4, 6, 8: 24 + 68 = 92. Subtract 92 from 100 for a score of 8 that round.

• Return all cards face down.• Play a predetermined number of rounds. The

winner is the player with the lowest score.

Games with Cards

Five Cards Make 10 (p4) (play with blue cards)• Play with cards 1 to 9. • Deal five cards face up. • The goal is to use those cards to make as many

equations as possible that total ten. • Each card may be used one time per equation, but may

be used in more than one equation. All five cards do not have to be used in each equation.

• Ex: dealt 4, 6, 7, 9, 1: 6 + 4; 9 + 1; 9 + 7 – 6; 7 + 1 + 6 – 4.

Activities

Mobius Strip (page 11)

• Draw a line along length of strip of paper.

• Tape the 1 inch wide ends together to make a loop, but twist the ends before joining them.– Tape lined side to unlined side.

• Run your finger along the outside of strip.

• Cut along the line. Describe what results.

Activities

Graph the Alphabet (page 11)• Graph a letter, such as the initials of your name,

or by starting simple, with the letter I. • State a height for the letters, such as seven

spaces on the graph paper. • Choose the starting point, described by its

coordinates, or let the learner choose. • Then the learner decides where the other end of

the I must be. • Include instructions for which points should be

connected.

Activities

Graphing Designs

• Provide the design.

• The learner names the points.

• Practice N-S-E-W directions, by stating which direction each point is from the previous.

Graphing Designs

Games with Cards

Fraction Rummy (page 5) (white cardstock cards)• Goal is to form sets of any number of cards that add to 1.• Deal each player five cards.• Place the undealt cards face down.• Turn top card face up in discard pile. • Each player draws top card from discard pile or from

deck, makes set if possible, then discards. • Player may take cards from deeper in discard pile if he

uses it right away.

Games with Cards

Dealing Down (page 5) (yellow cards)• Make twenty-five cards w/ numbers listed in HO.• Deal four cards to center of the table, face up.• Each player uses all four numbers to write an

expression with the lowest possible quantity.• Each player with the expression for the lowest

quantity gets 1 point. • Play for a set number of rounds.

Games with Cards

Fraction Games (page 3) (white cardstock cards)• Make a deck of 40 to 52 cards illustrating fractions,

fractional shaded pictures, decimals, and percentages. • Play Fraction War, Fraction Concentration, Fraction

Lotto, Fraction Go Fish, Fraction Old Maid (have one 1).

• Play to match equivalents, not just identical matches. • Have more than one fraction with the same value;

example ½, 2/4, 4/8. • Play to make 1 (fractions that add to 1).

Games with Dice

Cross Off 16 (or whatever number you decide)• Write the numbers from 1 to 16. • The goal is to cross off all sixteen numbers.• Player A rolls three dice.

Do any combination of + - X numbers on the dice to cross off one of the numbers that is not yet crossed off. The numbers from all three dice must be used.

• Play until a player has crossed off all numbers, or for a predetermined number of rounds.

Games with Dice

Cross Off 10

• Write the numbers from 1 to 10.

• The goal is to cross off all ten numbers.

• Player A rolls three dice.

Choose one of the numbers as the divisor, and arrange the other two as the dividend.

• Example: roll 6, 4, 1. Arrange as 16/4 = 4; cross off the 4.

Games with Dice

Place Value• Draw three lines ( __ __ __ ). • The goal is to make the largest number

possible.• Player A rolls one die. Writes that number

in the units, tens, or hundreds place. • The winner has the highest score, after

one round or a predetermined number of rounds.

Games with Cards

Addition War or -, or x

• Add the two cards together.

• First player to say the correct total gets both cards.

War- Each player starts with half the deck.

Each player turns over the top card of her deck.

The player with the higher card takes both.

Goal is to capture all the cards.

Games with Cards

Positive – Negative Number War (p 1) (gray cardstock cards)

• Black numbers are positive.

• Red numbers are negative.

• Play Addition (or Multiplication) War

Tricks

Guess the Number• Tell the person to choose two consecutive

numbers between 1 and 10.• Tell the person to square each number, then find

the difference, then tell you that number.• That number will be the sum of the two original

numbers, which can only be two specific numbers. Tell the person the numbers.

• Ex: 4 and 5, 52 – 42 = 25 – 16 = 9, 4 + 5 = 9

Commercial Games

• Yahtzee• Make 7 • Dominoes• 24 Game • Set• Connect 4• Bingo• Memory / Concentration• Lotto• Uno• Smath Board Game• Battleship• Phase 10

• Any game in which you roll dice and count spaces. – Sorry and Parcheesi give you

choices about which pieces to move.

• Any game in which you count money. – The Allowance Game, Life

and Monopoly are examples.

Any others you would suggest?

Commercial GamesLogic Puzzles to Practice Reasoning and Strategy Skills

• Sodoku• Ken Ken• Logic Grid Puzzles• Mastermind• Checkers• Chinese Checkers• Cribbage• Blokus• Othello

• Pass the Pigs• Pente• Racko• Rook• Rummikub• Six Cubes• Tri-Ominoes• Battleship

Resources

• Sources Used in Preparing This Presentation

• Websites with Activities

• Additional Activities

• TLC contact information is on page 1.

Conclusion

What are the benefits of using games and activities to practice math skills?

Conclusion

Increases curiosity and motivationEstablishes a sense of communityCreates a student-centered learning environmentReduces anxiety in the mathematics classroomAllows for cooperative learning opportunitiesInherently differentiates learningBuilds strategy and reasoning skillsReinforces mathematical objectivesEngages individual learners simultaneouslyTeaches life skills NCTM

• Thank you for attending.

• Please contact Tutors of Literacy with questions or suggestions.– [email protected]

– www.tlcliteracy.org

– 814-867-0203

• Please contact me for electronic copies of– the handout

– game boards

– cards

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.tlcliteracy.org/

Documents

Games and Activities that Practice Math Skills