Activities from Michael Ymer PD.

Telephone mania

Rip out pages from a telephone book and give each child a page. Magnifying glasses are great to use, especially for us teachers. The tasks can be varied to suit different ability levels.

  • Can you find and circle numbers pairs. ie 10, 11, 12, etc.
  • Can you find any two, three or four digits in the same telephone number that are next to each other and total exactly10, 20, 30.
  • The telephone numbers are divided in two groups of four. Can you find a balanced number. That is if you add up the final four digits you get the same answer to totalling the first four digits of the same telephone number.
  • List 10 four digits numbers and order them.
  • Can you add all eight digits in any of the telephone numbers 40 ? Which are the easier telephone numbers to use.
  • Can you use all numbers and any operations to make the answer zero.

Using Ten Frames -Race to 10, 20, 30. 0.

Use ten frame boards and counters with children working in pairs. Taking it in turns children roll a die and collect the counters placing them on a ten frame. They then need to verbalise their progress. For example.

*Two children playing Race to 10. One student rolls a 4 and collects four counters. He/she places the four counters on the ten frame and says ‘ i have 4 and i need 6 more.’ Player 2 then does the same. The first to reach exactly ten wins.

*By adding more than one ten frame students can play race to 12, 15, 20, 30 etc. Children need to practise making tens first and then adding on when playing Race to 12, 13 etc. For example instead of saying I need 8 when a student has 4, they need to say I need 6 and 2 more.

* The game can also focus on taking away where the first to get to exactly zero wins.

*Play cover up. One student places counters in groups on the frame and covers it. They then flash the layout for a couple of seconds and the partner tries to guess the number.

*Use the boards as a teaching aid to help children see numbers in frames of ten.

Grid it …100 / 0 –99 number board

Children draw a number of connecting squares from 5 to 12. The shape can vary. One child places a number in one of the squares that is on the 100 number board and invites his/ her partner to try and fill the empty squares in relation to the position of the numbers on the 100 number board without looking. Initially children may need to use the board. Swap over. The child creating the grid may wish to have the board in front to help select a number.

Odd or Even - Reading numbers and identifying odd and even numbers

A card game suitable for students from Prep to Year 6.

Two students place a deck of cards in front of them face down. Kings, Jacks, Tens and Jokers removed. The Queens represent zero and the Aces represent one. Students take it in turns taking one card at a time. Before they flip it over and read out the number they guess whether or not it is odd or even. [Children can draft a sheet with odd numbers on one side and even numbers on the other side and place a counter on their guess before flipping the card. This stops arguments about what was and wasn’t said.] If the child guesses correctly he/she keeps the card. If he guessed incorrectly the card is given to his/her partner Keep playing until the cards have all been used. The student with the most cards wins that game. Cards are shuffled and a new game begins.

Teachers may wish to assess a student’s ability to read numbers by asking him/her to press a number on the calculator and read it. If successful press another and so on. This will tell you if a child can read 2, 3, or more digit numbers and can help pair students appropriately. Allow children to play game up to one digit further than they can read so that learning can be extended.

Variations

Play the game with more than one card. The focus is not identifying odd and even numbers as children read larger numbers. The focus is correctly reading and saying 2,3,4,5 etc digit numbers.

game. Cards are shuffled and a new game begins.

Change it – Caculator game with a place value focus. [All levels]

Partner activity where like ability pairs take it in turn to enter a number into the calculator and change digits. For example, one child creates a number and enters it. Lets say 342. He/she then asks the other child to change a digit. For example, change the 4 into a 7. The partner then needs to + 30 and the number becomes 372. Swap over and the activity continues. The students need to determine the value of the digit that is being changed. Place value materials such as MAB may need to be used to help students see the value of digits in different places. If a mistake is made the game simply continues with the new number.

Variations

  • Simplify the activity for young children by using a single digit number and giving each pair ten unifix cubes so that they can make the numbers and then use the calculator to check.
  • Vary the range of numbers selected to cater for mixed abilities.
  • Take it in turns changing digits to make a set number i.e. 999, 0
  • Use subtraction or addition to change a digit.
  • Change more than one digit at a time with one move. For example the entered number is 51 478. Change both the digits 1 and the 7 into 6’s with the one move. This can be challenging. Students will need to think along the lines ‘ I will need to add 6 000 and then take away 10. Therefore if I add 5 990 I should get 56 468.
  • Use decimals in the activity.

Hit the target– Calculator game with a place value and addition focus [All levels]

List several suitable target numbers on the board. For example 10, 20, 50, 100, 1, 101.01 depending on year level.

Children work in like ability pairs selecting an appropriate target number. They take it in turns to enter a number that is smaller than the target number. The challenge is for the other student to enter the matching number to hit the target. For example. Two children agree to play target 20. Player one enters 12 into the calculator. Player two has the challenge of finding and adding the number to make 20. In this case 8. Swap roles after each shot.

Variations

Use target numbers such as 101, 9.9, 17, - negative numbers.

TARGET 100

Introduction / objectives

This is a card game that provides the students with the opportunity to investigate a variety of mental computation strategies when adding and multiplying numbers. It is quick and easy to organise and is lots of fun, even for adults who play it. The less able student can win, as there is an element of chance involved. A terrific number sense game to use as a warm up activity, or a focus lesson for young children.

Equipment [for each pair of students]

100 number board, 10 x 10 tables chart and two counters.

Deck of cards. All number cards have face value. Ace = 1. 2 = 2 etc.

Picture cards = 10

Joker = wild [can have the value of any other card in the deck].

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10
11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20
21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30

Procedure

Two students compete against each other to see who can get closest to 100 without busting. One student deals cards out to his/her opponent who adds or multiplies the cards. This continues until the student decides to stop.

Example Player A is going first and having cards dealt by partner.

Card 5 is dealt first so player A moves counter to 5 on number board. Card 6 is the next card dealt. This could be 5+6 and the counter is moved to 11 or it could be 5x6 and counter is moved to 30. Let’s assume that Player A decides to move to 30. The next card is a KING so the student adds 10 and moves the counter to 40. Next card is 2. Student decides to multiply and moves to 80. Next card is Ace. Student decides to multiply and stay on 80, hoping that the next two cards are 10’s and he/she can hit exactly 100. Next card is a 5. Student adds and moves to 85. Next card is 9. Student moves to 94 and decides to stop fearing that the next card flipped will be bigger than a 6and she / he would bust.

Player B now has the cards dealt to him / her and tries to better 94 without busting. Once this game is completed, play again but player B goes first.

Teacher tips

  • Card familiarisation activities are a good idea if students haven’t been exposed to decks of cards before. Perhaps alder students could tell you the value of a deck of cards based on the values listed in this game. Younger students should do sorting activities to help them discover that there are four of each card. How many cards in the deck?
  • Transparent counters help students see the numbers on the board.
  • Children find shuffling cards difficult so keep working through the deck of cards until you run out. Then shuffle or ask the teacher to help.
  • Children only deal a card out when the partner says, ‘Card please ‘. This eliminates the problem of students dealing the card while the other student is still deciding their move. If the card is flipped without being asked for the receiver has the option of using it or having a fresh one dealt out.
  • Try modelling the game to students using an overhead, transparency of 100 number board, transparent counters and overhead miniature playing cards. A very effective way to demonstrate the game and strategies that you need to discuss.
  • Vary the game if needed. Perhaps only add for young children or play hit exactly 100 for older students. For this game students can use any operation with winner being the student who hits 100 in the least amount of cards.
  • Vary the game by making it more challenging. Use any operation to hit exactly 100 in fewer cards than your partner.
  • When introducing the game, tell the children that while the game is lots of fun, the point of the game is to make decisions and become a smarter mathematician by taking short cuts when adding or multiplying. The overhead gives you the opportunity to discuss some of the strategies listed later in the article.