Grade: Elementary
Subject: Mathematics

#2831. What's On Your Head?

Mathematics, level: Elementary
Posted Wed Mar 12 13:12:55 PST 2003 by April Insley (ainsley@ycsd.york.va.us).
Yorktown Elementary Math, Science and Technology Magnet , Yorktown, VA
Materials Required: Several Decks of Cards
Activity Time: Various times
Concepts Taught: Multiplication and Division

I play this game with my students when I do Math rotations.

Objectives:
1. The learner will practice their multiplication skills.
2. The learner will apply their multiplication and division skills.

Procedure:
1. Before beginning and breaking the students up I usually demonstrate the game to the class, just to make sure that they know how to play.
2. Break the students up into groups of 3. Assign each student a role: caller,player 1 and player 2. Give each group a deck of playing cards that have the face cards removed.
3. The caller splits the cards evenly among the other two players.
4. When the caller says go both players pick one card from their pile and put it against his/her forehead with the number facing out. Have both players look at the caller.
5. The caller then multiplies the two numbers together and calls out their product.
6. Once the product has been called the two players turn to face each other and try to figure out what card they have on their head based on what card is on their opponents head.
7. The first person to correctly call out the number on their own head wins and collects the card from their opponent.
8. The player with the most cards at the time limit wins, or the person who runs out of cards first loses.
9. After a certain amount of time, have the students switch roles to give the caller a chance to play.
Accomodations:
If you have some students who may need more help, have them be the caller and give them a calculator so that they can correctly multiply the numbers.

I love to watch the kids get into this game. They get so excited sometimes that they call out their opponents card instead of their own! They are having so much fun they don't even realize that they are practicing their facts!