1. Using games and classroom activities to reinforce learning
MATH: FUN AND GAMES
Using games and classroom activities to reinforce learning

2. Research Support of Classroom Games and Activities
Improves attitudes
Develops skills
Assesses mastery
Motivates
Builds confidence
Engages students

3. Game and Activity Selection Criteria
Minimal preparation and materials
Easy to learn rules of play
Can be adapted to various topics
Requires little play time
Engages all students
Rewards players

4. Group Activity #1 Similar Problems
Each group member completes the following problems showing all work. When a member finishes he/she may assist other members. Each member’s problems have different answers, but the same steps.
1. If a restaurant sells 50 desserts in an evening, it is typical that 40 of them will
be pie. What percent of the desserts sold will be pie?
1. On a test of 80 items, Jan had 76 correct. What percent were correct?
A baseball player gets 13 hits in 40 at-bats. What percent are hits?
1. Of the 8760 hours in a year, most television sets are on for 2190 hours What percent is this?

5. Group Activity #2 Statistics with Coins
Arrange students in groups of 3. Have each group count the number of coins they have; pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. Construct a dot frequency diagram. Find the mean, median and mode of the coins.
i.e. 8 dimes, 10 pennies, 6 nickels, 4 quarters
Number of Coins Mean: = 7
= 1 coin
Median: =
Mode: None
1¢ ¢ 10¢ 25¢

6. Group Activity #3 M&M Conversion Worksheet
Directions: Count and record the number of each color. Compute and record the total. Complete the table using the data collected. Round answers to the nearest tenth. Construct a pie graph using the data.
Number of blue M&M’s _________ Blue Green Brown Orange Yellow Red
Number of green M&M’s _________
Number of brown M&M’s _________
Number of orange M&M’s _________
Number of yellow M&M’s _________
Number of red M&M’s _________
Total M&M’s _________
Fraction
Decimal
Percent
Degrees

7. Group Activity #4 Geometry Vocabulary Designs
After cutting out the designs below distribute to a pair of students. Student 1 describes the design, using geometry vocabulary, to Student 2 without showing him/her the design. Student 2 draws the design.

8. Group Activity #5 Scavenger Hunt
Directions: Each student computes the answers separately, then compares answers. Discuss and correct errors before handing in work.
Whole Number Operations Review
Find the product of the years you were born.
Find the sum of your zip codes.
Find the difference of your street addresses.
Find the area and perimeter of a rectangular object in this room.
Find the quotient of each of your heights (in inches) and the length of your foot.

9. Game #1 Bingo FRACTION BINGO 2 x 6 5 ÷ 15 3 7 8 22 2 + 1_ 8 - 7_
_ _
Directions: Write proper/simplified fractions in each box.
Choose from the following numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

10. GAME #2 I HAVE, WHO HAS Translation I HAVE 7n + 3 WHO HAS a number
decreased by 3?
I have n – 3
WHO HAS 7 subtracted
from a number?
Reading Numbers
I HAVE 203
WHO HAS two
thousand thirty?
I HAVE 2030
WHO HAS twenty
thousand three?
Reducing Fractions
I HAVE ¾
WHO HAS 21/87?
I HAVE 7/29
WHO HAS 38/72?

11. Game #3 Krypto Order of Operations
Choose 3 cards from a deck with numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Choose 2 cards from a deck with numbers 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
Chose 1 card from a deck with numbers 21, 22, 23, 24, 25
Arrange the first 5 numbers chosen, using the order of operations including grouping symbols, to equal the 6th number.
i.e. 3 cards: 2, 3, 7 2 cards: 10, card: 23
Possible answers: (10 ÷ 2) X (18 ÷ 3) - 7
(18 ÷ 2) – 3

12. Game #4 THE Review Game Set-up: Desks are arranged in rows.
Each team of 4 sits in a row.
Play:
The teacher presents a problem on the board. All students work the problem in their notebooks and circle the answer.
If the person sitting at the front of the row works the problem correctly, his team is awarded 5 points. If incorrect, the other team members’ work is checked, awarding one point for each correct answer – 3 maximum.
After all points have been awarded, a chosen student can work the problem on the board. The person at the front of the row then moves to the back, and everyone else moves up a desk. Play continues.

13. Game #5 Factoring Jeopardy