The World's Oldest Subtraction Game

Who Knew Subtraction Was A Contact Sport ????

OK, not real contact, but more fun than most recess games.

NIM and nim-like games have existed ever since – well.... ever since games. The beauty of nim-like games lies in their physical simplicity (a pile of pebbles or pennies, and easy rules) and their mathematical complexity.

From simple (but sometimes frustrating) subtraction strategy to complex number theory and computer code generation, NIM is a great game for Kindergarten (take away) through high school (binary number systems & computer programming) students.

“NIM” challenges students to think ahead (or maybe thinking backwards would help) as they remove (subtract) pebbles, seashells, pennies or other 'markers” from distinct piles.

Their goal is to leave just one “marker” for the other player to remove. The person who removes the last marker “looses."

But nobody looses as they stretch their mathematical thinking and begin to develop an algorithm or strategy for winning.

You can access a FREE DOWNLOAD of several versions of the game along with instructions and differentiation strategies here:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Worlds-Oldest-Subtraction-Game-Number-Theory-Number-Sense-Fun

After your students use and learn from it, a quick shout here and/or on my Teachers Pay Teachers page would be appreciated.

Differentiated Instruction ideas are included for students from emerging math students in Kindergarten through gifted 7th & 8th graders.

This challenge activity is a great tool for:
Teaching specific math skills.
Allowing students to develop and test number theories.
Math Centers
The day your principal wants to observe you presenting a Challenging differentiated math lesson to a mixed ability classroom.

Teach– Model – Then sit back and watch students have fun learning and sharing what they know and discover, with each other.

See my stuff at:

Pinterest and TeachersPayTeachers

Be Well And Teach (Nah! -- Be Well & Help Students Learn)

Mark

"33 Points"

Much like the game "21 Answers" from my previous post, "33 Points" challenges students to use three single digit numbers and all the math they have ever learned  to create expressions and number sentences in order to arrive at pre chosen "answers."

But That's Just The Beginning - Students Use Strategy To Capture Adjacent Numbered Points For
Bous Scores!

You can access a FREE DOWNLOAD of the game along with instructions and differentiation strategies here:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/33-Points-Number-Sense-Fun 

After your students use and learn from it, a quick shout here and/or on my Teachers Pay Teachers page would be appreciated.

Never mind that this is just good higher level thinking, common core math standards are included for those pesky principals who demand them with your lesson plans.

Differentiated Instruction ideas are included for students from emerging math students in first grade through gifted 5^th & 6^thgraders.

This challenge activity is a great tool for:
Teaching specific math skills.
Math Centers
*** The day your principal wants to observe you presenting a Challenging differentiated math lesson to a mixed ability classroom.

Teach– Model – Then sit back and watch students have fun learning and sharing what they know with each other.

See my stuff at:

Pinterest and TeachersPayTeachers

Be Well And Teach (Nah! -- Be Well & Help Students Learn)

Mark

"21 Answers"

Rollo (not his real name) leaped from his chair, thrust his arms in the air and yelled, “I'VE GOT IT !” “Shhhh,” I laughed, “You'll get us all in trouble.”

 

I was working with a half dozen able math students at a table in the back of a regular classroom, while the regular teacher worked with another group and one of the special ed teachers worked with a third.

 

One of the less emotional students was actually smiling at himself for seeing a relationship among numbers, and jet another was actually shaking with anticipation as she got closer to a really complex answer. Oh..... yes..... we were playing a game.

 

More about the value of games in teaching number sense and new math skills later. For now, it is enough to know that in order to come up with “21 Answers” students created and experimented with over 150 expressions and number sentences. That's a lot of math!

 

You can access a FREE DOWNLOAD of the game along with instructions and differentiation strategies here:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Challenge-Activity-21-Answers-Number-Sense-Fun

After your students use and learn from it, a quick shout here and/or on my Teachers Pay Teachers page would be appreciated.

 

In the mean time, as a quick overview, “21 Answers” challenges students to use three single digit numbers and all the math they have ever learned to create “21 Answers” from 0 – 20.

Never mind that this is just good higher level thinking, common core math standards are included for those pesky principals who demand them with your lesson plans.

Differentiated Instruction ideas are included for students from emerging math students in first grade through gifted 5^th & 6^th graders.

This challenge activity is a great tool for:
Teaching specific math skills.
Math Centers
*** The day your principal wants to observe you presenting a Challenging differentiated math lesson to a mixed ability classroom.

Teach – Model – Then sit back and watch students have fun learning and sharing what they know with each other.

See my stuff at:

Pinterest and TeachersPayTeachers

Be Well And Teach (Nah! -- Be Well & Help Students Learn)

Mark

Why "The No Explosion Zone"

I am a very blessed teacher. I'm itinerant – like the “Art on A Cart” teacher – but I work mostly with academically gifted kids.

I'm blessed partly because I get to see some of the most amazing teachers, do amazing things in their classrooms!

On the other hand, I also get to see how difficult it is for so many teachers to struggle – being asked every year (sometimes every grading period) – to do more with less.

Someone once told me the logical end of always doing more with less, is to finally ….....

Do Everything With Nothing!

It is enough to make a teacher's head EXPLODE.
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A (very little) bit about me.

I have just enough gray hair to make me wonder why anyone would ever pay attention to me.

On the other hand, I seem to have other teachers asking me if they can have copies of my “stuff” – the things I use or share with other teacher in my buildings (remember I said itinerant.) to help them either do more with less, or to do more things at the same time – To meet the needs of multiple groups of students at the same time, without having their head explode.
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So.... here we go. A serious attempt at blogging. My other “attempts” have been short lived.
“If you're obsessive compulsive and ADD, things have to be perfect.......
but not for very long” - anon.

My commitment to you is to get “stuff” to you on a regular basis (even if it isn't perfect- but you know it's gotta be close since..... there I go again) and on a consistent schedule ( If I wasn't so ADD I'm sure I could get things to you on a more regula........ anybody want to go on a photo safari?)

See my stuff soon here and at:

Pinterest and TeachersPayTeachers

Be Well And Teach (Nah! -- Be Well & Help Students Learn)

Mark