Math is a subject that many children have difficulty learning. An effective way to encourage children to learn is by integrating games into classroom activities. Games provide a fun alternative to traditional studying. They also help children become actively engaged in subjects, making it easier to retain more information than if they were inattentive.
Around the World
Around the World is a classic classroom game that encourages competition, quick thinking and math skill enrichment. The game starts with two students paired against each other in a contest. The teacher raises a flashcard that shows a math problem. The children examine the problem and race to solve it. The first student to correctly answer the question wins. A student who incorrectly answers a question must wait for his opponent to attempt an answer before trying again. The winner moves on to the next desk; the loser sits down at the desk where the competition took place. The object of the game is to get around the classroom without losing, thus making it "around the world."
Multiplication War
Multiplication War is an adaptation of the popular card game War. Students split a deck of cards face down, with each student taking half. Students flip over the top card of their respective decks simultaneously. The students multiply the two cards together and shout out the sum. The student who correctly answers first collects both cards. The object of the game is to collect the entire deck of cards. Before the game is played, students can either remove all face cards from the deck or assign numerical values to face cards. Aces are equivalent to 1. As in War, if students tie when both shout correct answers, war takes place. Students lay out three cards apiece, then flip a fourth card simultaneously. The winner of a war takes all the cards involved in the war. If a war results in another tie, subsequent wars are held following the same rules until the tie is broken.
Donut Dinero
Donut Dinero was developed by PBS and is an interactive game that teaches children about currency and the bartering system. Teachers must download an introductory video from the PBS website that explains the game and the scenario. Students then create paper "doughnuts" to be used as currency. Each child starts with the same number of doughnuts. The class decides on a conversion chart that details how much each color of doughnut is worth. Once the currency conversion rate has been decided upon, students cut out pictures of items they want to sell in their store. Items are valued at a certain currency of doughnuts, sometimes including fractions. For example, a pair of basketball shoes might be worth 2.75 doughnuts at a particular student's store. Students negotiate with one another and make transactions using their doughnuts. At the end of the activity, teachers ask students to reflect on the activity and how they think currency came about. Donut Dinero is a math game but it also integrates a social studies aspect into the game, which adds to the game's educational value.
Tags: Donut Dinero, Around World, deck cards, face cards, game that
