I Have… Who Has…?

Using Games to Teach Math

This week in class we began with a fun activity playing the game, “I have…Who has…?” This activity revolves around a specific topic; in our case we continued discussing geometric properties. With the deck distributed to the class, each table group had random cards with an answer (I have) and a question (who has). Within our table group we reviewed each of the cards at our table to make sure everyone at our table was familiar with the geometric property they had, so when the, “who has,” is called out we knew if we had to respond, “I have.” This is a great way for students to collaborate and share their knowledge with students in their group and making them comfortable with their card. As a result, when the game commenced they knew when to respond with their answer. Once the person called on responds, now they ask, “Who has?” to keep the chain going till the game ends. I really loved this game as it involves the whole class and it keeps students engaged because they have to be always alert in case their card is called out.

When I was in school, we played ‘around the world,’ which was similar where one students stands behind another student and answers a math question. The one who answers correctly moves onto the next student till all the students have participated. This game gets really competitive and the students who are not so strong in math feel intimidated to play. What I liked about the previously mentioned game, is how versatile it is in terms of topic selection. This game can be used in many strands of math as well as multiple subject areas. This is a game I definitely look forward to using at my placement for many purposes, especially for reviewing topics covered in math.  

Student Centered Learning:

In this session we covered a new strand in math, measurement. The teaching technique used in class was very hands-on and an experiential form of learning. This type of learning involves students taking an active role in their learning. The teacher acts as the facilitator making the process fun and allows students to engage in their learning. We used tissue rolls to determine the surface area of a cylinder and determine relationships among measurable attributes. It was fun working through the activity sheet, using concrete materials such as tissue rolls and string to measure specific attributes. The whole activity also revolved around a problem to help students make the connection between what was being done in class, and making it relatable using a real life situation.

We Figured out the rectangles, but did not keep
 track of all the variations that we tried.

(Khalid, N © 2016) 

Another activity we explored was the relationship between area and perimeter. We looked at having two rectangles that had fixed perimeters with the areas differing by six units. This is an interesting way to demonstrate to students through inquiry that perimeters can be the same but the areas of the two rectangles does not need to be. They will also soon discover that, “the fatter the shape, the smaller its perimeter, and the skinnier the shape the larger its perimeter,” (Van De Walle, & Folk, 2005). Students are also encouraged to keep track of all their trials, because this helps them make connections and see what works and what does not. I tried this method when I taught a math lesson on pattering using a story book, “Anno’s Magic Seeds.” The pattern in the middle of the story get a little complicated, but showing students how to keep track of data is a great way to help them see patterns without much effort.

Anno's Magic Seeds, a great literature to
 be used in class for patterning.
(Khalid, N © 2016)

Reference:

Van De Walle, J. & Folk, S. (2005). Elementary and Middle School Mathematics: Teaching Developmentally (Canadian Edition). Toronto: Pearson.