Instructions:

Tic Tac Toe with times tables is a very simple yet motivational game for students.

1. The teacher separates the classroom into two big groups – one group of students is called the X’s and the other group is referred to as the O’s.

2. One person from each X and O group is called up to the board and given a pen.

3. When the students are ready, the teacher then says the multiplication table problem that needs to be solved. The student who answers correctly and writes the correct answer on the board is also awarded the X or O (depending on what team they are on) to place on the grid on the board.

4. Once the first person has gone up to the board, the process is repeated until everyone has had a turn. This is used as not only a score board, but to see which side of the classroom can successfully complete a full row of X’s or O’s.

Tips:

It doesn’t have to end there. If the kids really get into this game, you don’t have to announce a winner at the end of the first lesson. You can let them know that you are keeping track of who is winning and continue playing week to week. You can even have them play twice a week. This will keep them excited about each time they play and they will know that if their team didn’t do well on the first lesson they still have a chance to win the next time around.

You can also reward the students with the most correct answers by allowing each student to be the team captain. If there are more than two students, you can have them take turns until everyone is able to be the team captain.

To make this game even more interesting you can reward the students with a variety of treats. A good idea would be to purchase candies that are circular and X-shaped. One possibility is sour apple rings for O’s and gummy worms for X’s.

After trying this, you will see that Tic Tac Toe with times tables is a very simple and yet, still motivational game.

…….and for review, here is an additional fun game for learning times tables:

http://www.math-lessons.ca/timestables/times-tables.html

Did you know that most people in general tend to do better with any activity when they are competing against someone else? One great way to accomplish this is to incorporate a technique through a fun and stimulating school activity.  The way that this game works is that each student is given different times-tables problems.

Each problem is given a certain point amount. For each correctly solved problem that the student has correct, they are assigned the amount of points associated with that problem.  For example, 1×1=1, they would be given 1 point; 2X2=4, and so on. If the student answers the problem incorrectly, they do not gain any points.  As a matter of fact, they lose the amount of points that correspond to the problem they answered incorrectly. This technique gets the children even more interested in learning multiplication tables as well as answering the problems correctly. It will also get them motivated to correctly answer the equations, especially those with the higher numbers so they can accumulate more points.

At the end of the assignment each student’s score is added up and the person with the most correct problems, as well as the most points is designated as the winner. If there is more then one winner, then you can do a sudden death match and have each player compete against each other until there is a winner. Or you can reward both of them with the title of “Multiplication Masters” and they can be the designated team leaders when you play this game another time.

You can also add even more fun to this game by breaking the class up into teams and assigning 5 players to each team. This allows the students a chance to interact with each other and learn the value of teamwork, plus for those students that are struggling they will be able to work with other students that can help them out.

By incorporating this fun game into your teaching plan, learning multiplication tables will be a lot more fun for kids, plus they will benefit from working with other students. They will also learn a valuable lesson that integrates the concepts of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

This activity involves a great deal of imagination while at the same time it allows them to use their ability to use fractions in order to complete this creative assignment. This activity will be sure to intrigue the students and convince some of them that maybe math isn’t all that bad afterall.

Materials:

270 miniature sugar cubes, (this is 18 sugar cubes per group of 2 at 15 groups if your class consists of 30 students)

Construction paper- 15 pieces

Instructions:

Teachers divide the class into groups of 2. Each group is then given 18 sugar cubes to construct their pyramid. Every time the students complete a row for the foundation of the pyramid they have to write a fraction down on paper, stating how many sugar cubes they used to construct the bottom layer. Let’s say they used 7 to construct the bottom layer. Since there are 18 total cubes for the assignment, the denominator will always be 18. Therefore, the faction for the first problem is 7/18.

The students would then continue this exercise and the construction of their pyramid until all of the sugar cubes have been used. Once they have completed the assignment, they can then add up all of the fractions they have written down. This would then equal the total amount of sugar cubes used to make the entire pyramid.  The students will not only have used fractions as a way to produce the pyramid, but they will also have something interesting to show for their work. This activity can also be adjusted to different grade levels by the complexity integrated.

Tips:

Once the students have made their own pyramid, they can also come together with another group and make a bigger pyramid which will test their fractions skills even more.

To make this activity even more interesting teachers can have the students create different shapes or objects with the sugar cubes and state how many sugar cubes were used in their design.

…..And for additional review, here is another pyramid fractions game using Chocolate!

http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/chocolate.html

This game is ideal for students in grades 5-7.  Students will learn how to compare fractions with one another.

Materials:

Mini-smarties candy bag

Smarties lab worksheets

Markers or crayons -yellow, red, brown, pink, blue, orange

Poster Paper

The entire length of this lesson would take about 1 hour of time. You can also adjust the time to fit your needs.

1. Have students pair with another student so that there are groups of 2.

2. Have the students motivated about this game by asking leading questions, for instance:

-Tell me what your definition of a fraction is?

-How can we make fractions?

3.Explain to the students the purpose of the worksheets and explain the directions of the lab.

4.Ask the students if they need help or have any questions before you start.

5.Have the students separate  the smarties candy by color.

6.The students can then create their own fractions by using the amount of smarties they have in comparison to (whole) the different colors of the Smarties (part).

7.Have the students draw a circle and using their poster paper they can then divide the circle into the amount of Smarties that they have in their bag.

8.Once the students have completed their project, you can then go around the room and have an open discussion about their findings.

Tips:

Teachers can also allow the kids to eat the smarties candy after they have completed the project. This works as an added incentive for the students. Plus, they will be rewarded for a job well done!  Teachers can also reward the person with the most creative point of view and or the best explanation of their findings by giving them an additional box of smarties candy.

…and one other fun fractions game for Grades 5/6:

http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/FractionsBoard5.html

Materials:

A 4×6 Poster or any size you desire

Construction Paper

Dark Marker

Regular Paper

Pen

Glue

Adhesive Tape

Teacher’s Instructions:

1. Find a poster board with a popular cartoon character or age-appropriate movie that will appeal to the students. An example would be Sponge Bob Square Pants or Harry Potter.

Make sure you find a picture that is sturdy enough to cut into pieces as well as easy to cut, or you can use the construction paper to support the back of the poster. Use the glue as adhesive for the poster and the construction paper.

2. You can break up the picture into as many pieces as you would like. Cut the desired number of sections to make the number of puzzle pieces.

3. Write a variety of different multiplication table problems on a piece of paper. This will be for your eyes only.

4. On the back of each puzzle piece, you can write the answers that correspond to the puzzle piece problems you previously wrote. Also, be sure to add some type of adhesive to the top of the puzzle piece so it will stay on the board.

Classroom Instructions:

This excellent activity involves using the multiplication tables to put together the pieces of a puzzle to form a picture. Each multiplication problem that is answered correctly, corresponds to a specific puzzle piece and where it should be placed on the board. The teacher will be instructing the class and have students come up to the board to solve multiplication problems in order to accomplish the solving of the multiplication problems and the piecing of the puzzle.

Depending on what grade this is for, the multiplication problems can vary in difficulty, from very basic to advanced. When you have completed the game, the children will see the end-result which is the completed puzzle.

…And making times tables easy learning, remember our brilliant Bingo Game:

http://www.math-lessons.ca/timestables/times-tables.html

Steps:

1. Take a sheet of fractions that you may have on hand that are just plain old fraction problems.
2. Let’s say that the first fraction of the first problem on the sheet is ¼
3. Let’s use that good ol’ imagination of yours and let’s write out that problem so the kids will enjoy reading the problem and learn something important at the same time.  Therefore, you would write something to this extent:

Tommy has four toy trucks. Of these four toy trucks, one is green. How many trucks does Tommy have that are green? Write this in a fraction. Answer- ¼

1. Now for the same problem, but the second number, let’s say it’s also ¼

You would write:

Jerry has four cookies.  Of those four cookies, one is chocolate chip. Write this in fraction form. Answer- ¼

1. Now you instruct them on the paper to take the first two you wrote out and have them make a fraction problem, therefore it would be ¼+¼ =

You can do this with as many problems as you would like. It would also be great to work in some topics that kids are interested in like snacks or candy or something fun.

By incorporating this technique, the students might be able to catch on a little better. They will also be able to grasp the beginning concepts of logic and probability, which they will need to be able to understand later in school.

….And of course, our other Fun Fractions Game for decimals, percentiles and money:

http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/OneEquals.html

What you will need:

Deck of cards per 3 players at a time- average class size 30-35 (12 decks)

The  students are first put into groups of 3. There are 2 players that compete against each other. The third player in each group is the person who controls the dealing of the cards. The dealer takes two cards from the deck and places them face down. Then once both players are ready, the dealer flips over the cards. The students try to multiply the two cards that are exposed. Whoever answers correctly keeps the cards. The cards then have a point system. If the student answers incorrectly then the other student has a chance to guess the correct answer. If the student answers correctly then he/she obtains the cards. If the student does not know the answer or does not answer correctly, then no one obtains the cards/points. Therefore, whoever has the most cards at the end of the game is the person that wins.

Teachers can also continue playing this game by taking each winner from each group and have the best of the best compete against each other to find out who knows how to multiply the best. The winner of the entire class can then be assigned to some special task or treat.

Tips:

To make the game more student centered you can buy children’s playing cards that could be a favorite character of the students, or a theme of a popular kids movie.

To make this game even harder or for students who are older you can add

one more card to the original 2 card format. Therefore, instead of students having to multiply 2 cards, they would have to multiply 3 cards. This would make this a lot more challenging and really test the multiplication skills.

Teachers can also have the students make up a sentence that incorporates the answer of the two cards. This exercise will encourage them to learn how to multiply – and, stimulate their creativity as well.

Everyone loves those cute complimentary crispy cookies when enjoying some delightful Asian cuisine. These cookies are not only uniquely aerodynamic, but they have a nice little message inside that is inspirational and uplifting. So why not combine this same concept to your teaching lesson by having your students learn more about fractions by making their own fortune cookies. Throughout the entire process of making these fortune cookies you will also be instructing the class on how to fold the paper which incorporates fractions. This technique will keep them busy, more interested in learning fractions, as well as give them a chance to express their creativity.

Materials:

- Plain white paper, paper color of choice, or color construction paper.

- Markers, crayons or color pencils.

Building Steps:

1) Begin with a piece of paper that is square in shape.

2) You can decorate one side if you would like to give it more color.

3) Fold the paper in half so it now forms a rectangle.

4) Unfold it, rotate it, and fold the paper at a right angle from the original fold, but in the direction of the identical side of the paper. Unfold it. Now the square has a vertical and a horizontal crease in the middle.

5) Flip the paper over so the decorated side is facing downward.

6) Take each corner of the square and fold it so it touches the middle point in the center.

7) Flip it over. (Notice that it is twice as thick as before.)

8) Fold the four new points so they meet in the center.

9) The end-result is a small thick square. Fold it again so it is a rectangle shape, and then fold it once more so that it is a square once again. Unfold the last two folds; all you need are the creases.

10) Extend the flaps with the less tighter points away from the body. This is so you can fit your index finger and thumbs underneath these flaps.

11) Now with your fingers below the flaps, condense the four outer corners together so you have a shape that resembles that of a flower. The middle part of the flower is now the bottom point.

12) Now for the creative part! Instruct your students to write different types of fraction problems on each of the sides on the outer part of the cookie. They can also draw pictures and jokes along with these fractions to make it more interesting. For instance, if you are instructing the students to create the fraction that is _ + _ = 1 whole, they can draw a heart that is split down the center and is composed of two parts. The inside part of the cookie will reveal the concealed answers to the fraction problems.

By incorporating this crafty project, students will be engaged, learn more about fractions as well as be able to interact with other students and solve each others riddles. What could be more fun then having the students participate in classroom activities as well as learn something new in the process?

Materials Needed:

One egg carton with 12 slots

Black Marker (Sharpie)

2 different colored medium sized rounded beads

How to design the egg carton:

Take the egg carton and using a black marker, write numbers inside each of the bottom of the slots where the eggs were. There should be 12 slots. Take the beads and place them inside the carton.

Game Instructions:

Have the students stand in a circle. Start the game off by handing one of the students the egg carton with the beads inside. Instruct the students how the game is played (by shaking the egg carton and then opening it up to see where the beads have landed). The students will then multiply the two numbers where the beads have fallen.

Each student who answers correctly is allowed to stay in the game and continue to play. If the student answers the problem incorrectly, they are taken out of the game. The game continues until there are no more remaining players.

Tips:

You can keep track of who answers the most answers correct and give them a special privilege, such as being the head facilitator of the game the next time you decide to play.

To make this game more challenging you can time each person so they are limited on the amount of time they have to come up with the answer. Also, if they cannot come up with the answer within the specific amount of time then they are also taken out of the game.

Teachers can also have the students make their own personalized carton if they see that the students are interested in the game. This way the student can practice this game at home to help them learn the multiplication tables.

Instead of using black markers, you can decorate the egg carton with cute stickers and other adhesive embellishments to make it even more attractive to the students.

Did you know that most people in general tend to do better with any activity when they are competing against someone else? One great way to accomplish this is to incorporate a technique through a fun and stimulating school activity. The way that this game begins is each student being given different times table problems.

Each problem has a point amount. For each correctly solved problem that the student has correct, he is assigned the amount of points associated with that problem. For example, 1×1=1, the student would be given 1 point; 2×2=4, and so on. If the problem is answered incorrectly, no points are gained. As a matter of fact, the student loses the amount of points that correspond to the problem they answered incorrectly. This technique makes the children even more interested in learning multiplication tables as well as answering the problems correctly. It will also motivate them to correctly answer the equations, especially those with the higher numbers so they can accumulate more points.

At the end of the assignment, each student’s score is added up and the person with the most correct problems, as well as the most points is designated as the winner. If there is more then one winner, then you can do a sudden death match and have each player compete against each other until there is a winner. Or, you can reward both of them with the title of “Multiplication Masters” and they can be the designated team leaders when you play this game another time.

You can also add even more fun to this game by breaking the class up into teams and assigning 5 players to each team. This allows the students a chance to interact with each other and learn the value of teamwork. Plus, for those students who are struggling, they will be able to work with other students that can help them out.

By incorporating this fun game into your teaching plan, learning multiplication tables will be a lot more fun for kids, plus they will benefit from working with other students. They will also learn a valuable lesson that integrates the concepts of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.