Math Magic Moments

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Fun with Numbers

Introduction

Fun with Numbers is the first part of Math Magic moments. The focus is on designing, playing and practicing math with the self made math cards. Puzzles and activities based on the archival math spice up this part.

Card Games: Parents and teachers of Elementary grade students are always looking for some new and interesting ways to present math facts to the children. Mathematical card games can be one way to present a variety of math facts in an interesting way. All the games from this book have the potential to spice up the regular paper-pencil math activities. They can be presented as games to be played in small or big groups. Making or designing of the cards can be presented as individual or group projects. All elementary teachers are aware of the fact that students get more involved in their own learning if they are active participants. At this age, they like to play, sing, draw, color, cut, and glue. Playing games involves winning, losing, competing, facing challenges, thinking of a strategy and a feeling of camaraderie. Without them being aware of it, students get a lot of drill and reinforcement of the math skills when they are making the cards and playing with them, as well. Since paper and pencil are not allowed while playing with the cards, and they need to adhere to the time constraints imposed by the timer, students need to apply their mind to find the quick and correct responses. Doing math mentally becomes a habit, and practice makes them better at it. For students of differentiated learning levels, making and playing with the self-made cards can be (A), a group activity to learn the math facts that they struggle to learn, (B), a practice to reinforce the skill they have learned, or (C), a challenge to respond to the math operation with the lightening speed.

Note: Details about Card Making are to be found at the end of the Card Game section.

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Following are the sample mathematical card games that students will enjoy playing. Hopefully, educators and students will get inspired to design their own games, as well.

Debt-free

Aim of the Game: To reinforce skills in memorizing, mental math, number sense, addition and subtraction.

Grade Level: The sample game is designed for the second and third grade students. The cards can be adapted for the fourth and fifth grade students and higher/lower levels in the second and third grade.

Designing the Cards: Two sets of cards are to be made. One set (set A) consists of 30 cards showing benchmark or helpful numbers (10 cards showing 10, 10, showing number 20, and 10 showing number 30 ). The second set (set B) has about 60 cards consisting of several combinations of addends totaling up to 10, 20, or 30. The teacher makes sure that no cards from set B are repeated. The students writing on the cards should be instructed to write the numbers in bold type and in the center of the card, and add the equal (=) sign at the top of each card of set A and a question mark (?) for each card of set B. Cards in set A serve as the answer cards. They can be called matching cards, as well. (Q and A can be used instead of equal sign and question mark sign).

Debt Free Cards

Playing the Game: Cards in set B are to be shuffled and distributed equally among the players. Depending upon the number of cards in set B, 5, 6, or 10 players can play the game at any given time. Set A is placed face down. The first player picks one card from set A, turns it face up and tries to see if he/she has the matching answer card in hand. If the player has a matching card, it is placed face up, so all other players can see if it is the correct card. If the card is correct, the player discards that card and places the card from set A in the bottom of the deck. (Reusing the cards in set A can be avoided by making equal number of cards in set A and set B). The option of discarding one correct card or all correct cards from the hand is to be discussed before the play starts. If the card is not correct, the group tells so to the player. The player keeps the card back in hand and misses the next turn. The next player draws a new card from set A and keeps it face up. The game continues. If, however, a player does not have any matching card in hand, he/she says pass. The next player has to look for a matching card in his/her cards in hand. The first player to discard all of his/her cards is the winner. The player becomes debt free.

Helpful Hint: As soon as the cards are dealt, players should study their cards and know which cards from Deck A they are looking for. Once students get the hang of it, a timer is introduced.

Variations: 1/ Variations can be made by focusing on different math operations like subtraction, division or multiplication, or by changing the level of difficulty of the game. Set A should consist of all the correct answers instead of benchmark numbers. For third grade, addition, subtraction, multiplication or division facts can be with three digits, for fourth grade with four digits and for fifth grade, set B can consist of decimals and addition facts with five or six digits.

2/ Another variation consists of cards with multiple math operations. Set A, for example has a card with the numbers 8+ 7 while set B has a matching card with 30 15 written on it. Students are given the names of the two math operations and clear instructions to find various combinations (mix and match).

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Who’s the Culprit?

Aim of the Game: To improve students’ visual perceptions, to reinforce mental math skills in various math operations, to make available one more interesting strategy to learn math concepts.

Grade Level: The sample game is for students in second and third grades.

Designing the Cards: Each student makes one or two pairs of pattern cards. The teacher can write down some conditions about Pattern Units, such as a restricted number of colors, shapes, columns, rows, etc. As students advance in instruction, they can be given more challenging tasks, and be asked to make number patterns, geometric-shape patterns, algebraic patterns, and transformations (translation, reflection, or rotation). Making cards gives students much-needed reinforcement in math skills and creative thinking.

Who is the Culprit?

Playing the Game: To play the game, about five, six or ten students sit in a circle (The number of participants depends upon the total number of pattern cards. One card is taken out of the deck and kept aside. Each student should get about ten to twelve cards). All cards are shuffled and distributed equally. Each student makes pairs of patterns from the hand they are dealt and sets them aside, face down. The rest of the cards are fanned out in the hand. The student sitting next to the dealer goes first. He/she snatches a card (without looking) from the hand of the player sitting to his/her right. If the snatched card has a match, the pair can be taken out. Each player takes a turn. The player who matches all cards in his/her hand first, is the first winner. Other players continue playing until there is only one player with one unmatched card left in hand. That player is the culprit.

Helpful Hint: For the game to be completed successfully, each player has to be accurate in matching the pairs. If the game is not going the way it should, then each player’s pairs should be checked. It is convenient to keep each player’s pairs separate.

Variation: 1/ In addition to pattern cards, two students can be instructed to make two pairs of cards with similar-looking purses(pocket books), in different colors. Before dealing the cards, one purse- card should be taken out. The last player will end up with one purse card in hand. That player is the culprit or the purse- snatcher.

2/ The teacher can instruct the students to make number pairs (one card showing a question mark and 20/4 and the other showing the Quotient =5) or a pair showing higher numbers (one card showing 21×12 and the pair card showing the Product =252) or a pair showing two different math operations ( one card showing 15+31 and the pair showing =23×2).

Depending on the achievement level of the group, the teacher can write one card on the board and students write the pair, or the teacher challenges the students to come up with their own pair cards in a given math area.

When students are making visual pattern cards, they may be instructed to make one card of their pair. All single cards can be attached