This is a terrific game from Math Professor Maria Anderson. She uses it to practice anti-derivatives, but it can be used for other topics. Take a look at the video: http://teachingcollegemath.com/2010/12/new-math-game-antiderivative-block/
Category Archives: Math Games
CUNY Tuition Slope Game for Basic Math, Algebra, and Statistics
Created by Wioleta Jaworska, BMCC, CUNY
Title of Game
CUNY Tuition Slope
Subject Area and Learning Outcomes
Basic Math, Algebra, and Statistics: Slopes, Quantitative Literacy, Percentages
Summary
This game was employed by me after a midterm-exam in my introductory algebra class. It is intended to teach slopes using a Math Lesson on CUNY tuition increases since 1976. In teams, students analyze data on CUNY tuition increases from 1847-present and must answer questions correctly. The assignment works for basic math students, who can find the percent increase in tuition from one year to the next and contrast this with the change in inflation as measured by the change in CPI, and for algebra and statistics students, who can discuss the meaning of the equation for each regression line.
Setup
No materials or setup is needed beyond access to the internet site www.teachcuny.wordpress.com (you have to click on the link: Lesson Plan), which has data on CUNY tuition increases and sample problems.
Rules of Play
This game was employed after a midterm-exam in my introductory algebra class. I used the six highest-grade students as team captains. I deliberately chose a bigger number of leaders (6 – including two B+ students and four A students, and A is a grade I award infrequently) in order to form smaller teams. In teams, I had them read each other’s corrected midterms, focusing primarily on mistakes and my comments; students were to critique each other’s midterms as well as their studying techniques an provide constructive feedback. This process took approximately 30 minutes. Based on this discussion, each team leader was responsible for assigning the right roles members of their team in preparation for the CUNY Tuition Slope game. The game is played with teams, who compete against each other to answer questions correctly. Each turn, I assign a problem and the teams compete to be the first to answer the problem correctly. The game ends when each question has been answered or time is up. At the end of the game, you can reward the winning team with prizes.
Sample Turn
Each turn is the same: when the correct answer to a CUNY Tuition Slope problem has been written on the blackboard by the winning cluster-team.
Post-Game Discussion/Assessment
I received a very positive, keen engagement of each student during the competition. As a result of having participated in the game, students developed greater self-esteem and the ability for positive, mutual cooperation in the future.
Japanese Ladder Games for Combinatorics
Three fascinating games from Steven T. Dougherty and Jennifer Franko Vasquez at The University of Scranton appear as “Ladder Games” in MAA Focus, June-July 2011. Mathematicians will enjoy the group theory and combinatorics used to explain the way the games work, while their students will have fun with these games as an intuitive introduction to the concepts.
The authors write that the three games, “…can be played by anyone regardless of their level of mathematical sophistication. When you are done playing these highly addictive games you will have a deeper understanding of permutations and group actions and you will learn a very interesting connection to coding theory. We have found that the games are very enjoyable to play and that players end up understanding complex mathematical ideas without realizing they have done so.”
https://sites.google.com/site/professorstevendougherty/games
