#2302. Arithmetic Attack

Mathematics, level: Elementary
Posted Tue Dec 3 21:19:50 PST 2002 by Yvonne Schaff ().
CSU Hayward, Hayward, USA
Materials Required: 5 decks of playing cards (with jokers and face cards removed), paper and pencil for each student
Activity Time: 30-45 minutes
Concepts Taught: Comparing whole numbers, addition, and subtraction

Grade Level: Second
Number of Students: 20

California Standards:

Number Sense:
1.3 Order and compare whole numbers to 1,000 by using the symbols <, =, >.
2.2 Find the sum or difference of two whole numbers up to three digits long.
2.3 Use mental arithmetic to find the sum or difference of two two-digit numbers.

Mathematical Reasoning:
1.2 Use tools, such as manipulatives or sketches, to model problems.

Parameters:
The teacher will say to students, "Before we begin, we need to remember the rules of our classroom. If you have something to say, raise a quiet hand, which means no talking out. Also, remember that we need to keep our hands to ourselves, be serious about our work, and respect other people and their opinions. Lastly, don't forget to listen with your eyes and ears. If we all follow these rules, we're sure to have a good activity."

Anticipatory Set:
The teacher will ask students:
* "Has anyone ever played with cards before?"
* "What games do you know?"
* "Today we are going to do a math game with cards, in your table with your groups." (These are groups of students with mixed ability levels.)

Guided Practice:
The teacher will give each group of four students a deck of playing cards (with jokers and face cards removed) and a piece of paper. The teacher will then give the following instructions; checking for understanding after each instruction:
* Each student chooses two cards from the top of the deck.
* Write down the value of each card on the paper with a plus sign between the two numbers and an equal sign at the end.
* Add this equation and put the answer after the equal sign.
* The person with the largest answer wins all cards used in this play.
* Continue the steps again.

The teacher should guide class through two rounds before going to independent practice. Once the majority of the class appears to understand the concept and the process, the students should be instructed to reshuffle the cards, start over and play until all cards in the deck have been used.

Independent Practice:
The teacher will tell the students that they get to play the game in their table groups. The teacher will review the rules of the game and then designate a table group leader to be in charge of materials at each table. The leader will also be responsible for helping the group solve any conflicts that arise during the game. After students have recorded 10 math sentences, they can stop and count their cards to determine the winner.

Once the students know how to play the game, the materials will be available for them to use to play the game later in the week after they complete their class work.

Assessment:
The teacher will collect the papers from each group in order to determine students' mastery of addition facts and their understanding of greater than and less than.

Modifications:
* Add the Jack, Queen, and King cards into the game, giving each a value of 10.
* Students could use subtraction instead of just addition, and the winner would still be the student with the largest number of cards.