Math Games To Use In Middle School and High School Classrooms.

 

Since I work in a place with 2G cell phone service and questionable internet, I like to keep a few games around in my room just incase I need a filler, or the kids are having an off day.  There is nothing worse than having a fire drill in the middle of math and trying to resume study when we get back so its nice having a few games around.

So I am always on the lookout for games that one can just pull out. There are several I've found that I'll share with you today.  I like making folders that contain several copies of the games so they are ready to go as needed. There are some games that will use online sources and I'll include a link to those.

First is a math tic-tac-toe game.  This one can be used for just about any math topic but for this example, I'll talk about it using decimals.  Begin by creating a worksheet with problems such as addition or with all four operations.  The class is divided into groups of two.  Each person is given a worksheet and assigned a color. The students take turns answering the questions.  If they find the correct answer, they get to color in a box, if they are wrong, they do not color in a cell.  The winner is the one who establishes three in a row first.  This is one that would be good to have laminated tic-tac-toe boards and dry erase markers.

Next is math baseball which is a game to get students up and moving around. First thing is to divide the students into two teams.  Next have each team create a bunch of questions and rank the questions as worth one base, two bases, or three bases based on difficulty. When the game starts, the first team asks the second team a question.  They announce the value of the question, give the question, and the other team tries to solve the question correctly.  If the team gets it, they get that many points, if they miss it they get nothing.  The teacher acts as scorekeeper and the winner is the team who reaches 10 or 15 points first.  The teams alternate back and forth asking questions rather than waiting for three outs.

Think about setting up a trasketball game one day.  First step is to create a supply of questions. Then divide the classroom up into teams of 4 to 5 people. Each team is given a response sheet and one student is designated as team captain who is the only one who can answer questions. Decide the value of a correct answer such as one correct answer gives the team two chances to make a basket.  As the questions are asked, the students work together to correctly solve the problem.  If the answer given by the captain is correct, the team wins the opportunity to shoot a ball into a basket or trash basket.  If the teacher wants to, they could designate the team that is behind, call "Shoot!" so the team has a chance to equalize the score using their basketball playing ability.

Although the next game is set for trigonometry, it could easily be used with families of graphs and similar groups of math items.  For this game, make up two sets of cards with the six trig functions, with their associated graphs, graphs, period, domain and range.  These cards are distributed among all the students.  Then students take time to match up the equation with the graph, period, domain, and range held by other people.  If someone makes an incorrect match, the others get to say "Go Fish." The student with the most matches is the winner.  

Check back Wednesday for more games.  I will finish off this grouping then.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

What To Look For In Math Games.

At some point, we like to use games as a way of learning. Some games are better than others so it is important to look for certain things which make the game more exciting. In today's entry, we'll look at things to look for that will make the game a better choice for the classroom.  One time, I downloaded an app for students to use to practice their multiplication tables and the only thing it had them do was practice problems in order such as 1 x 7 = 7, 2 x 7 = 14, etc and there was never a way the facts were mixed up.  

One reason to use games in the classroom is that they provide both structure and a process for children to practice their problem solving skills in order to reach a goal.  In addition, students are more likely to persist in order to solve a problem when playing a game because they are engaged.  

One important thing to look for in a game for the classroom is choice.  If there is no choice, students have little opportunity to develop strategy.  When they have to make a choice, they have to think about things, and worry about if they made the right choice once they've made a decision.  This adds richness to the classroom and the teacher can always ask them why they made a certain choice.  It promotes communication.

Secondly, math should be the engine that powers the game rather than using it as say the money in a game.  In other words, you have a racing game and students need to solve problems at a regular interval so they gain speed, refill empty gas tanks, or such activity.  This means the fun stops until the math problem is completed.  Instead, you want a game where the better a student becomes at the math, the better they become at the game and the more choices they have because they see more ways of doing things.

This is where teachers have to decide if it is game based learning or if it is gamification.  The first is where learning occurs within the framework of a game while the second is when game elements are added to make the experience more engaging.  So in the previous example the doing math to fill the car with gas is really more of gamification rather than game based learning. Look for a celebration of correct answers rather than leader boards, badges, and timed activities.

The game should also be simple to use and easy to play so you don't spend too much time going over rules and getting things set up.  The sooner students are in playing games the sooner they are having fun and are engaged.    You want students to learn as they are playing rather than being distracted by avatars, pets, or accessories they could earn.

You want to make sure the game is both engaging and challenging to the student. You want the student to feel as if they just need to get this one more thing and they will have it.  There is a fine line between being challenging enough and too challenging.  If it is too challenging, they will get discouraged.  It is like holding the carrot just out of reach but the carrot doesn't move away, it is allowed to get closer until you get it.

The game should have students stop and think so avoid multiple choice questions, or games that give the answer if the student is wrong, or work if a student just randomly clicks on things.  A good game will have research behind it that is easy to find and done by others. If all else fails, play the game yourself to see if it meets these criteria.

It is always nice to have ideas of what to look for in a math game so it really meets the needs of the students rather than just being a fun game.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

Math Games For The Social Distanced Class Room, Part 1.

 

My school year has started with about three weeks of inservice and at this moment the students are due to start on September 14th with masks and desks spread out as close to 6 feet apart as possible.  Furthermore, only half the students will be in class at anyone time.  I realize I could assign students to play games on digital devices but those do not usually allow as much interaction among class members so I decided to find games I could have students use in class.

I'll be sharing several in today's column and I'll share several more in Friday's column.  The games are fairly easy and won't need a ton of preparation.

1.  I have...... Who has....  game.  This game uses cards with an answer and a question but the answer does not go with the question on the card.  For instance the card might read "I have x = 3, who has the answer to x - 7 = 4."  The answer of x = 11 is on someone else's card with a new question.  To play, you make sure you have enough cards for one per student and that the answers and questions line up so the last person to have the answer is the same one who read the first question.  After I pass out the cards, I usually give students a chance to read their cards so they are ready for the game.

To start have the teacher or a student read the first question such as " Who has the answer to x - 7 = 4?" Give students a chance to find out the answer to it so they see if they have the answer.  If students are struggling , encourage students to talk about solving the problem so they can help each other.  Once the answer is figured out, let the students see who has the phrase " I have x = 11".  The student identifies themselves and reads the next "Who has problem?" It continues until everyone has had a chance to answer  a question and ask a question.  

This game is a great way to have students practice previous and new skills.  It can be used for any grade and almost any topic from basic addition, to multiplying binomials, to factoring, to practicing multiplication facts.  I've used it to help scaffold missing skills and used it to help students learn a new skill.  I also admit, I have messed things up so I didn't manage to go all around the classroom and I've also managed to accidentally come up with equations that ended up with the same number.  On the other hand, when I've gotten all the cards set up correctly, it has been lots of fun.

2.  Math Bingo.  I pass out empty Bingo cards to my students.  On the board, I have a huge number of possible answers.  I ask students to fill out their bingo cards with answers from the board.  For instance, if I wanted to have students practice order of operations, I might say, select any numbers between 1 and 99 and write them down on your card in any order.  

Once everyone had their cards filled out, I might write the first equation on the board such as 2 x 3 + sqrt 25 x sqrt100 =    .  I let the students figure out the answers by doing the calculations and usually someone calls out an answer but no one writes the answer down until a second or third student confirms the answer is correct and then students cross it out if they have it on their card.  I'll put another equation and wait till they come up with the answer.  Usually, students want to play blackout because they are having so much fun.

I've used math bingo with fractions, order of operations, one step, two step and multistep equations, factoring trinomials, area, perimeter, trig functions, and any other math topic I can think of.  Again, it allows students to practice their already learned skills and newly acquired skills.  

3. The Great Escape - normally requires students to line up but in the time of social distancing, it won't work.  Instead have students stay seated at their desk.  Go through and ask each student three questions.  If the student gets the first one right, ask the second, but if they don't get all three correct, move on.  If the student manages to get all three correct, they can leave a minute early from class, or get to do fewer homework problems that night.  The reward is up to the teacher.

On Friday I'll be sharing a few more games that can be done in a classroom where the desks are 6 feet apart due to social distancing.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

Math Games

  Sometimes we have occasions where we want students to collaborate or work in groups rather than be working independently.  Unfortunately, most apps are designed to be played individually or if students can work together, they must use  a central game site which may or may not be a place you want your students.

So occasionally, it is good to organize some of the older types of games which have students actually interacting with each other.

Although Learning With Math Games is actually geared for upper elementary and middle school, there are some lovely games that can be used to scaffold instruction for high school students.  I found a lovely game which helps students practice their use of integers. It requires a specially constructed deck for each person in the pair.  Students add two cards together to form a sum and the one with the largest sum gets all four cards.  Another game uses a regular card deck to practice exponents.

East Carolina University created created several Math Middle School Energizers which combines physical activity with math.  One activity I discovered combines line dance with integers. Just think, take a 5 min physical break with a bit of music and holding up integer cards that tell students the number of steps to move left or right.

Another site, Fun Maths have several nice games for use in the classroom.  I looked at the algebra egg race which came with the playing board and directions, everything needed to have students practice substituting values into algebraic expressions.  Another activity requires students to spend exactly $1,000,000.  To show they've spent the money, they have to create a presentation with pictures, prices, and a sheet showing the prices of what they bought.  If you wanted, you could require students to create the presentation digitally or create a hard copy.

Finally is Bright Hub education with a nice collection of games ranging from "Who wants to be a millionaire" to a proportion relay which requires students to move, to a fraction game.  I find that many of my lower performing students are weak in the basics and all of these sites have activities which can be used to strengthen these skills.

Math Games

I found a nice little site on the web called Math Games.  This website covers grades pre-k to 8th.  It offers practice in two ways.  When you first go to the site, you have a choice of 5 games to play.   It doesn't matter which game you select because it is designed to ask the player for their grade.  On some, you are also asked to choose which topic to work on.

I selected the Math Missile game at the eight grade level  I had the choice of decimals, fractions, algebra or equations.  I selected algebra and I was off and running.

The idea is that I answer questions correctly and each correct answer causes a missile gets shot out of the sky.  For each missile I hit, I accumulate points/dollars.

The points can be used to upgrade facilities.  I don't know if this website will work on ipads but it does work on computers.

I noticed I spent quite a bit of time focused on the math and not the game so I'm not sure how the students will react to it.  What I like best about this site is that I do not have to join it to access the actual games or at least 5 of them.  I do like that I can choose topics and a grade level. This site will be great for my lower performing pre-algebra students.