New Game for New Year!

Welcome to a wonderful New Year with high hopes for math in the air! (I am actually listening to Frank Sinatra singing the song, “High Hopes” as you read this! I just love the part about the ant!!!)

Some of you know that I live by the Pacific Ocean so we never entertain thoughts of snow here…..just doesn’t happen but every so often (every 7-10 years) we get some snow! January 2nd

was the day we got snow. Now imagine how that would shut down an area like ours. I was not there because I was on my way to Moore, Oklahoma but our neighbors kept sending picture of the snow! Beautiful in the Redwoods and on the beach! Even had frozen pipes one day after returning…..that is really not news to people in other places!

Have you ever wondered how you could bring more motivation into your classroom? If you have not tried the Double Dice, they really are “game changers!” Why not try to include more playful practice of basic skills for this new year! We, at Creative Mathematics, carry the Double Dice for the best price ever! $5.00 for a bag of 16! Can’t beat that.

Got a great game for the first week back in school whether it is this week or next! The game is called

“Rolling Equations!” It uses two regular dice or a set of the double dice! The object is to be the first one to have three different equations for each number.

Players take turns! Roll the Double Dice and the player with the highest sum goes first. Player A rolls the Double Dice and states an equation with the two numbers. That equation is written down in the box with that answer.

Any operation can be used. Before the next player takes a turn, Player A writes two other equations for that same answer. The numbers to be used in the other two equations do not need to be what numbers the player rolled. Player B checks each equation and gives the “thumbs up” signal.

Player B repeats the same process. The player who completes all the equations first wins! If an answer is rolled after a player has completed the equations, the player loses the turn.

To increase the difficulty of game, each player must use three different operations in the three equations for each answer.

To make the game more challenging for upper grade students, roll the triple dice and create equations using two operations with three numbers!

Simple but effective way to practice for five to seven minutes! You want the data sheet for playing “Rolling Equations” with your students? Go to www.creativemathematics.com and click on the Free PDF section (red button) and register and download! I want to run a contest! 

Tweet a picture of your class playing the game and share the blog with a friend! Your tweet and share by January 20, 2017 will earn a chance for a drawing to win $50 of my merchandise!

Mathematically yours,