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Rafe Esquith: Five Tips to Help Children Develop Their Natural Gifts

#1172. Flying Saucer Math

Games, level: 1-2
Posted Thu Jul 15 19:30:41 PDT 1999 by Carol Shelton (cshelton@hal.calc.k12.la.us).
DeQuincy Elementary School, DeQuincy, LA
Materials Required: paper plates
Activity Time: 30 minutes
Concepts Taught: math fact drills

Write one math fact on each paper plate. Take your class
outside and have them line up in front of you. When everyone is
ready, throw the paper plates as far as you can throw them.
Allow students to pick up as many plates as possible, then
blow a whistle. When students hear the whistle blow, they
are to line up in a single file line. Students then take
turns saying the problem on their flying saucers along with
the answers. If they are correct, they remain in the line, if
they are incorrect, they sit. Any student that is sitting can
"buy" his or her way back into the game by answering a problem
that someone doesn't know in the next round. Students love this
game because it is outdoors. Watch them closely though, it
doesn't take long for them to learn not to pick up the "flying
saucer" if they don't know the answer to the problem.