Volume 2 April 2010 Let s Make Math Fun Tease Their Brain with Brain Teasers Turn Your Classroom into a Game Show Do Your Kids Sudoku? Free Math Printables Brain Teaser Cards Board Games and Sudoku
The Let s Make Math Fun MAGAZINE is brought to you by Making Math More Fun at www.makingmathmorefun.com and Math Board Games at www.math-board-games.com Copyright 2010 Teresa Evans. All rights reserved. Permission is given for the making of copies for use in the home or classroom of the subscriber only.
In this edition The Game Show Game..... Teaser Their Brains.......... Page 4 Page 5 Do Your Kids Sudoku?..... Page 6 Useful Links.... Favorite Card Game....... Page 7 Page 7 Environmental Math Ideas.... Page 7 Kids Sudoku Puzzles Printables....... Brain Teaser Cards........ Printable Board Games... Page 9 Page 11 Page 14 Welcome to another edition of the Let s Make Math Fun Magazine. There are so many different ways to get kids practicing math skills. Some of them are fun and some definitely aren t. In this edition we look at some of my favorite ways to liven up math practice and make it entertaining, interesting and FUN! In my classroom I have found that competitions can be a great way to motivate kids to practice skills. One format that I like to use is the Game Show format. Just divide the kids into teams, put on a funny game show host persona and you re ready to go! I also use Brain Teasers and puzzles all of the time. Kids love the challenge and it helps them to develop thinking skills and problem solving skills too. Sudoku puzzles are also great for teaching kids strategic thinking but you need to make sure that they are kid friendly. Most Sudoku puzzles are far too hard for kids to do and will only frustrate them. This month I have some kid friendly puzzles for you. Hope you and the kids have fun with this month s ideas and free printables. Kind regards, Teresa Cover Photo Info [2009] Ron Rutgers Image from Bigstock.com
The game show game This one is mainly for teachers to use in the classroom but parents could easily adapt it for use with two children instead of a whole class. If you are looking for an interesting way to reinforce a particular calculation skill, consider turning your classroom into a game show stage. Break the class into 4 or 5 groups for 4 or 5 rounds. Every student participates in one round. The winner of each round goes into the final round and wins a prize. This can be played in one day or held over a week with one round each day. So how does math come into this? Simple in each round the winner is the one who answers the most questions correctly or the one who draws the cards to give the largest answer. If you want to ask questions you can set up a panel style desk where answers are written on card or paper and then help up. The first one to hold up the correct answer scores a point. The other method is the draw cards method. For example, to practice addition, students simply draw 2 cards from a bag. The numbers on the cards are then added. The person with the highest answer is the winner. The whole class can be involved in calculating each contestant s answer. What skills can you practice with a Game Show? The answer almost anything! In fact you could have a different game show every week! Here are a few ideas to get you started. Practice comparing values Each contestant draws a card and the one with the highest value scores one point. Cards could have 2 or 3 digit numbers or even larger numbers. Decimals numbers or fractions could also be compared. Practice addition Each contestant draws two cards and adds the two numbers. The contestant with the largest answer wins the round. Practice adding single digit numbers or numbers with 2, 3, 4 or more digits. Practice Subtraction Each contestant draws two cards and then calculates the difference between the two numbers. Practice Multiplication Each contestant draws two cards and then multiplies the two numbers. To practice skills like multiplying one digit by 3 or 4 digits use two sets of cards one with single digit numbers and one with 3 or 4 digit numbers. Practice calculations with fractions Each contestant draws a card with a calculation on it, for example 1/9 of 54, 2/5 of 45. Practice percentage calculations - Each contestant draws a card with a percentage and number on it, for example 60% of 80 or 25% of 64. To get kids even more enthusiastic, you can act like your favorite game show host or choose one of the aspiring actors in the class to be the host. Hope you have fun with this one.
Tease TheIr BraIns I am a big Brain Teaser fan. I have been using Brain Teasers in my classroom for many years. I love giving kids little problems to solve that involve using math skills. It is a great way to get kids looking at numbers and other math concepts in a different way and applying math skills to problems. It is also a great way to teach problem solving skills. Sometimes some of the best teaching comes from letting kids share their solutions and their method for solving the problem. Over and over again I have seen kids think of a completely different strategy to use instead of the rather obvious one that I thought should be used. I also love seeing the enthusiasm when they are presented with a Brain Teaser. For some reason Brain Teasers are much more interesting than a problem or math drills. Kids seem to love the challenge and also love to compete with others to see if they can be the first to solve the Brain Teaser. Over the years, I have used Brain Teasers in many different ways. One year I had a weekly competition with one Brain Teaser put up at the start of the week. The children would work out the answer and write it on a piece of paper along with their name. This entry would then go into the entry box. At the end of the week we would work out the answer together and then draw out an entry. The first entry drawn out with the correct answer on it was the winner of the competition. We even ended up with adults and kids from other classes wanting to enter. I also find it works really well to let children pair up to solve Brain Teasers. I will often introduce three Brain Teasers and then let children sit in pairs and work together to solve them. There is some great peer tutoring that goes on when this happens. I have included a set of 5 printable Brain Teaser cards for you on page 11. If you want to tease their brains even more, you ll find loads of great ideas in these books too. 5-Minute Math Problem of the Day by by Martin Lee, Marcia K. Miller Math Puzzles and Math Puzzles and Brainteasers Brainteasers Grades 3-5 Grades 6-8 by Terry Stickels
Do Your KIds Sudoku? Many of you will already know that I am a big Sudoku fan. I love using Sudoku puzzles with kids because there are so many benefits to be gained by playing around with Sudoku puzzles. Although Sudoku is only loosely related to math, I still think of it as a great math puzzle because it is a fantastic resource for teaching kids problem solving. There are also many other benefits. Kids have lots to gain by using these puzzles. Solving Sudoku puzzles teaches kids: Logical Thinking Skills Concentration Skills and Reasoning Skills And at the same time they also develop Patience Creativity and Confidence. I ve been using Sudoku with kids for some time now and I ve seen many kids come to me with a big cheesy grin after they enter the final number into a Sudoku puzzle. It is a satisfying and rewarding feeling! They need something much simpler and easier when they are starting out. It s a good idea to teach them the basics with simple 4x4 puzzles. Then move onto 6x6 puzzles and then go to the regular 9x9 puzzles easier ones that won t frustrate them. This month I have 2 pages of Sudoku puzzles for you. My friend, Brooke Watson, has created them for you. At Brooke s new site www.kids-sudoku-puzzles.com she has loads of Sudoku puzzles for kids including the novelty Word Sudoku type. She is giving away more free puzzles from her site and also has created 2 books loaded up with kid friendly Sudoku and the Word Sudoku puzzles. Make sure you check out Brooke s site. www.kids-sudoku-puzzles.com But please don t go and grab the nearest newspaper or magazine and put an adult Sudoku puzzle in front of the kids. Not all Sudoku puzzles are suitable for children. Most of them are far too hard and kids will simply find them frustrating. Click here for your 2 free pages of Sudoku puzzles from Brooke.
USEFUL LInks There are loads of great math games online, but often you need loads and loads of time to find them. Here s some that might be just what you need! Get Interactive All kinds of math you can even create your own games! http://resources.oswego.org/games/ I could explore this one all day! http://www.mathplayground.com/games. html My favorite multiplication game! www.bigbrainz.com ENVIRONMENTAL MATH IDEAS What s in a tree? Take one simple tree and you have loads and loads of ways to get kids measuring, counting and estimating. Here are a few simple questions that you can pose to get kids thinking and applying their math skills and problem solving skills. Some of these are questions that kids might not be able to find an exact answer to, but the answer isn t important. What is important is the planning and processes that they use. What is the circumference of the tree trunk? Please Note that due to the ever changing nature of the internet, I cannot guarantee the content of these sites. Remember, it is always advisable to supervise children while online. FavorIte Card Game Addition Quick Draw Use a deck of cards with colored cards removed. A game for 2 players Getting Ready Deal out all of the cards to the two players. Play the Game One player calls, Draw and both players turn over their top card and place it face up in the center. The players add the two numbers that are showing and the first player to say the total out loud wins the two cards. After all cards have been used, the players count the number of cards that they have won. The winner is the person who has the most cards. What is the circumference of the tree s canopy? How could you calculate the height of the tree without climbing the tree or using ladders? How could you calculate the number of leaves on the tree without counting each one individually? How many children would need to stand on top of each other to reach the height of the tree?
ThIs Month s Free PrIntableS include KID FRIENDLY SUDOKU These 4x4 s, 6x6 s and 9x9 s are provided by Brooke Watson from KIDS SUDOKU PUZZLES. BRIAN TEASER CARDS 5 Brain Teaser Cards and the Answers (So you don t have to tease your brain too!) BUILD + AND - BOARD GAME BUILD X AND BOARD GAME More Printable Math Games are available from www.makingmathmorefun.com and www.math-board-games.com
Kids Sudoku Puzzles Write a number from 1-4 in each square so that every row, column and mini grid contains the numbers from 1 4. 4 1 3 2 1 3 4 3 1 1 2 3 2 Write a number from 1-6 in each square so that every row, column and mini grid contains the numbers from 1 6. More Sudoku Puzzles available at www.kids-sudoku-puzzles.com 3 4 1 1 2 3 5 4 3 4 2 2 1 3 6 4 1 5 4 6 3 5 4 1 3 6 2 6 2 1 3 5 6 3 1 4 6 2 5 5 2 3 3 2 1 5
KIDS SUDOKU PUZZLES Write a number from 1-9 in each square so that every row, column and mini grid contains the numbers from 1 9. 1 9 2 2 5 6 1 7 8 9 3 7 3 9 6 8 1 5 4 1 3 2 4 5 5 6 3 9 4 1 7 8 2 4 2 8 7 6 3 1 9 6 7 2 4 9 3 1 8 4 3 5 6 9 2 5 1 7 8 8 3 9 4 3 6 4 7 9 1 8 5 2 9 6 1 3 5 9 6 2 8 4 8 3 7 9 4 6 5 2 2 6 7 3 8 1 9 4 2 1 8 5 6 6 7 8 2 3 5 4 9 5 3 6 9 7 2 8 More Sudoku Puzzles available at www.kids-sudoku-puzzles.com
BraIN TEASER Cards FINISH THE PATTERN Complete the pattern in each row. a. 3, 7, 15, 31, 63, b. 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, c. 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, IN A CIRCLE A number of children have been asked to stand in a circle, with even spaces between them. If the 3 rd child and the 9 th child are directly opposite each other, how many children are in the circle? Hint: Draw a diagram.
BOOK FRIENDS Three friends have been reading lots of books. Together they have read a total of 21 books. Jason has read twice as many as Pete but only half of the number read by Belle. How many have each of them read? PAINTED ROOM Josh is painting each wall in his room a different color. He has 4 walls to paint. There are 6 different colors for him to choose from red, white, blue, orange, yellow, green. How many different color combinations could he choose for the walls of his room? e.g. one combination would be red, white, blue, orange
EQUATIONS Use the symbols +,, x or and the numbers to do what is asked. An example is given to show you what to do. EXAMPLE: Make five twos equal forty-four. Answer: 22 x 2 + 2 2 = 44 a. Make five twos equal thirty. b. Make six threes equal ninety. BRAIN TEASER ANSWERS Finish the Pattern a. 127 (double the number and add 1) b. 55 (add the 2 preceding numbers) c. 22 (add 1 to 1 st number then add 4 to next number) In a Circle Answer 12 children Book Friends Jason 6 books, Pete 3 books, Belle 12 books Painted Room 15 combinations Equations a. 2x2x2+22=30 b. 33x3-3-3-3=90
BUILD + and - = 4 8 5 2 + 9 BUILD + And - START A game for 2-4 players Getting Ready Place the cards beside the board. How to Play 1. Each player puts a marker on one of the Start Squares. 2. Players take turns to throw the dice and move that many spaces in any direction staying on the purple squares. 3. When a player lands on a square, the player collects a card with the same number or symbol on it. 4. Players continue to move around the board on their turn, going clockwise or anticlockwise, taking a card to match the square they land on. 5. The winner is the first player who can create a true equation with their cards. e.g. 3 + 9 = 1 2 1 8-6 = 1 2 START 1 3 7 = 6-2 1 0 - + 3-4 START START 7 = 6 9 + 8 5
BUILD X and = 4 8 5 2 X 9 START BUILD X And A game for 2-4 players Getting Ready Place the cards beside the board. How to Play 1. Each player puts a marker on one of the Start Squares. 2. Players take turns to throw the dice and move that many spaces in any direction staying on the yellow squares. 3. When a player lands on a square, the player collects a card with the same number or symbol on it. 4. Players continue to move around the board on their turn, going clockwise or anticlockwise, taking a card to match the square they land on. 5. The winner is the first player who can create a true equation with their cards. e.g. 3 X 9 = 2 7 4 8 6 = 8 START 1 3 7 = 6 2 1 0 X 3 5 4 START START = 7 9 X 8 6
Cards for Board Games 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 8 8
9 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 = = = = = = + + + + + + - - - - - - x x x x x x