Make Math Meaningful!

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Madeleine Palmer
5 years ago
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1 Make Math Meaningful! I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand. Knowledge comes easily to those who understand. Proverbs 14:6 B-A-T Place Value Game B = Brilliant; right number in the right place A = Almost; right number, wrong place T = Toss it out; the number is not in the answer.

2 This is a strategy game to help students learn place value. The teacher writes a 3 digit number down on a piece of paper and keeps it hidden. One student from the class guesses a 3 digit number by saying the number and the place value it goes in (a 4 in the hundreds place, an 8 in the tens place, and a 3 in the ones place). The teacher writes the number on the board, and writes either B, A, or T underneath it. Another student then makes a guess based on the information. The game ends when the class guesses the correct number. You can make it competitive by seeing if they can do it in fewer guesses the next time. Example: Teacher's number is 386. Guess#1: 483 Teacher: TBA Guess #2: 387 Teacher: BBT Guess #3: 386 Teacher: BBB (Class wins!) Variations: For young children, this game can be done with plastic colored tiles until they learn the concept and place value. You can use a few colors un To make the game simpler, use the rule that every number can only be used once. To make it more difficult, increase the number of place value spaces or allow for numbers to be used multiple times. It can get quite challenging figuring out a number in the millions place! M and M s or Skittles Add add different colors together Subtracting - Pick two different colors and subtract the larger from the smaller. Graphing Count how many of each color are in the package and make a graph.

3 Ratio/Probability These can be done individually or as a class. Find the ratio of a certain color to another color. As a class, list what color has the most in each package and use the information to teach probability. Fractions Give each student 10 M and M s and have the student write fractions for each color. Place Value Assign different colors to represent different place values and have students put the correct amount for large numbers. Patterns Students take the items in their package and make patterns. Integers Select one color for positive and another color for negative numbers. Parts of Speech Select a specific color for each part of speech. The students will put the candy piece in color order on given sentences. Animal Classification Each color represents a different classification. Fun Drilling Exercises with Number Cubes Addition/Multiplication

4 Put students in pairs and give each group a pair of dice. The dice are rolled and the first student to come up with the sum or product receives a point. The student with the most points wins at the end. As their skill level increases, you can add dice. For multiplication, use two sets of different colored dice. The students must add the dice and then multiply. For example, if the yellow dice are 3 and 5 they would equal 8; if the red dice were 2 and 4 they would equal six. Then the students would multiply 8 x 6 and the first student to say 48 wins the point. This is a great exercise that requires the students to use different operations in the process of finding the answer. Positive/Negative Integers Each pair of students rolls a red and a yellow die. The yellow is positive and the red is negative. The first student to find the sum earns the point. Greatest Common Factor Each student rolls a die the first student to find the greatest common factor of the numbers wins the point. Least Common Multiple Same as GCF Playing Card Games Brain Facts Group 3 students (dealer and two players)

5 Dealer deals the cards face down to the two players. The dealer counts 1, 2, 3! On 3 each player lifts a card from the top of their pile and place it on their heads without looking at the card. The dealer announces the product of the two player s cards. Knowing the product, each player looks at the other player s number on his forehead to determine their own card. The first student to announce the correct missing factor (number of the card on their forehead) wins that round and gets both cards. The student with the most cards at the end of the game is the winner. Rotate positions and repeat. Variations: You can also play this game with addition. A more difficult version of the addition game could be to play with 4 students. 1 dealer, and 3 students with numbers on their heads. The deal adds all 3 numbers, and students have to subtract 2 numbers from the total to find out the addend they have on their forehead. Differentiation: For students that may struggle with higher levels facts, you can select certain numbers that will be in their deck of cards. For example, in lower elementary, only include cards with the numbers 1-6 until they have mastered those combinations. Then continue to add facts as needed. For students that have already mastered the easier facts, only include cards with numbers 5-10 to help them learn more difficult problems. CANDY PIECES FRACTIONS

6 Distribute a handful of candy pieces (or individual snack bag) to each small group of students. Guide groups through the following steps to calculate the fractional part of each candy color: 1. Count the total candy pieces and use that number as the denominator. 2. Sort the candy by color and use each color as a numerator. Direct groups to create a circle graph of their candy colors on paper on a computer program and write three subtraction problems using the data. Have groups present their graphs and problems to the class, and have other groups solve the problems. Variations A. Have groups model addition and subtraction problems using their candy pieces. B. Have groups compare to see which color has the most/least. C. Have groups put all candy pieces fractions into simplest form. Math Tic-Tac-Toe (Addition or Multiplication)

7 Materials: 10 sided dice, markers, game board Two students take turns rolling a 10 sided dice (with digits 0-9 on the sides). Whatever the game board says, they add to the number they rolled and cover the corresponding answer on the board. Since there are only 9 spaces on the game board, a student may cover any spot if they roll a 0. For multiplication, students should multiply the number rolled by the factor listed on the game board. This game is great for differentiation because students can work at their specific level on facts that they need to memorize. Add 5 Tic-Tac-Toe

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