Use Math games to bring your math class to life!

1. If It’s Friday,
It Must Be Kakooma
If It’s Friday, It Must Be
Kakooma

3. True Confessions
• I’m a math nerd
• I believe that collaboration and discussion
are key to learning math
• I love math games

4. How it all started
Kakooma! My favorite math game

5. Kakooma
• Web-based OR iPad app: access on
laptop, SmartBoard, iPads
• Play alone or with partner OR whole class
• Choose operation and level of difficulty =
differentiation
• Motivates kids to learn basic facts

10. How it evolved
• Perfect Friday activity
• Students in random teams
• Play the game at the Smart Board
• Record the team’s time - a little friendly competition is
very engaging
• Great leadership for kids – they run the show!
(I sit back and relax)
And then….

11. Add MORE MATH
This is where the magic happens –
The Discussion!!!

15. Even more math
• Ask important questions:
– “Is there an outlier?”
– “How do you know?”
• Find the class mean
• Find the class median
• Record on the Scoreboard

17. LIVING Math
• Practicing addition and multiplication skills
• Line plots
• Vocabulary:
– Mean
– Median
– Range
– Outlier

18. Friendly
Competitions
with other
classes
#Kakoomachallen
ge
Skype and
Google Hang Out

19. Complete Engagement
They think they are playing a
game!

20. Greg Tang Math Games
Engaging, fun, thinking games
For any math content and any level
Web-based – use on laptop, SmartBoard,
iPad
Alone or with a partner; friendly competition

21. Math Doodles
• Engaging and fun ways to practice many
kinds of math thinking
• Alone or with a partner
• iPad app

30. Solve Me
• Web-based: can be accessed on laptop,
SmartBoard, or iPad
• Algebra thinking for many levels
• Concrete examples using mobiles
• http://solveme.edc.org/

31. Simple ways to represent
unknowns

32. More complex representations

33. Even More Complex

36. NCTM Calculation Nation
• Web-based: access on laptops or
SmartBoard (not easily compatible with
iPads)
• Play against the computer
• Games to support many different areas of
the curriculum: factors, fractions,
• Most appropriate for grades 3-5
• https://calculationnation.nctm.org/

39. KEN KEN
• Web- based: access with laptop,
SmartBoard, or iPad
• Play alone or together
• Choose operations and level of difficulty
• http://www.kenkenpuzzle.com/#

41. Estimation Station
• Whole group activity to promote number
sense
• Estimating and adjusting estimates –
always thinking about WHAT MAKES
SENSE
• May connect to curriculum or stand alone
• Accessible to all kids and all levels
• http://www.estimation180.com/ a website

42. Student Recording Sheet

43. Examples for Estimation
• The Hot Chocolate Example
• The Coins Example
• The Pie Example

44. So Many Games, So Little Time
• Try these games and see what might
connect to your curriculum
– How can you differentiate with games?
– How can games improve student discussion
and collaboration?
• Don’t be afraid to go outside the box to
give your students a different kind of
learning experience

45. Contact Me
• Twitter: @beebekienstra
• mkienstra@naperville203.org
• My blog: marykienstra.com