Games and Assessment: Exploring Possibilities

I have long been exploring the ways that games can be used to help students work on needed goals, long after the “material has been covered.” For example, if you get to the end of your multiplication unit and you have a bunch of students that are still not fluent and confident with multiplication skills and strategies, playing games can help. So long as you have a routine for supporting game play, intentionally use games for growth, and have a good set of games to choose from, students will play them and get not only better at their skills, but also at their creative and strategic use of those skills. It works.

Now, you could assess students using measures other than the games themselves–small check in quizzes or activities–but why not use the games themselves? Plus, if you have reluctant and/or highly anxious math learners, games can be a friendly way to get important information for targeted planning or a sense of how things are progressing. Unlike tests or other paper-based activities, assessing through games seems to benefit from engaging directly with students through conversation and being a game participant. This form of assessment also works incredibly well with self-assessment, so long as students know what they are aiming for and can name/identify strategies.

At this point in my exploration, I have tested 3 games as potential assessment tools:

We tested Mathzee with vulnerable grade 10 students from one our district’s alternate secondary schools as well as with one Math Foundations 10 students at a local high school. We are set to try it with grades 6 to 8 as well.

We tested Slideline and Fill the Stairs with multiple classes of grade 6-8 students at local middle schools.

Capture the Square is commonly played at the Elementary level. Levels of the game are chosen either by teachers or students.

 

Differentiation and Inclusion Game and Rich Task Links

Featured games:

Fill the Stairs:

15 Scratch:

Subtraction Run

NIM:

Rich Task Links:

Rich Task Student Work and Assessment Printout:

Indigenous Story Books to Use with Shape Shifters

I highly recommend the following books to use with your Shape Shifters.  Read the stories in parts without sharing the illustrations, asking children to use their Shifters to represent story elements each time that you pause. Each time they can share their ideas by doing a gallery walk. To bring in the math, students should look at what they made with a geometric lens: shape, symmetry, pattern, angles, and lines.

By Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd:

More coming soon!

How to Play Trash

There are many versions of this game out there. It is very adaptable and allows for both number sense and operation practice.

What you need to play this game: 

  • a partner or a small group
  • scrap paper and pencils for everyone
  • a 10-sided dice or deck of cards with face cards removed per group.

Basic version: play to make the greatest number possible.

  1. The group decides whether they will be playing for the biggest number in the tens, hundreds, or thousands
  2. Each group member sets up their page by drawing a space for each digit plus one square representing a trash can.
  3. Each group member takes a turn rolling or drawing a card. The number drawn must be placed or discarded in the trash. Choose thoughtfully! You cannot erase a number once it has been placed. Plus, you only get one opportunity to toss your number in the trash.
  4. The round is over when each group member has filled their spaces. Compare numbers. The greatest number wins the point.
  5. Start a new round!

Variation 2: play with a partner to make the greatest sum

  1. You need four players (two sets of partners) for this version.
  2. Play the same as in version 1 except that the round is finished when the partners have added up their numbers. Partners with the largest sum wins.

Variation 3: play with a partner to make the greatest difference

  • Play the same as in version 2 except that the round is finished when the partners have found the difference between their two numbers. The greatest difference wins!

Variation 4: greatest score in the class

  • groups add up all numbers in the round and compete against other groups. If groups are uneven and the students are in intermediate grades, they can calculate the average value for their group instead.

Decomposing and Recomposing

You may never have used this word with your students, but guaranteed you have engaged in decomposing tasks. Here are some other phrases you may have used:

  • Part-part-whole: if you are an intermediate teacher you may never have used this phrase. Many primary teachers do, however. When you work with part-part-whole ideas, you are also predicting value of a part if you know the whole and the other part used to make the whole.
  • Expanding numbers: this is a particular kind of decomposing. Expanding describes the process of breaking a number up into place-value parts (325 = 300 + 20 + 5).

Decomposing breaking a number into parts any way that you like. So I can decompose 325 into 150 + 150 + 2 + 3 or any way that I like! This is a foundational number sense skill.

Click here to watch a great explanation by Christina Tondevald (Build Math Minds).

Here are some games and activities to practice decomposing:

  • What’s in the cup? We recommend five frames (printout: Five Frames) be available for students as they play this game. This is a good game for early primary.
  • Splat! by Steve Wyborney. These activities can be projected and used for whole class engagement. There are levels targeting early primary to intermediate.
  • Shake and Spill: This is a simple game with a bunch of extensions (graphing is my favourite). Great for K-2.
  • Part-Whole Triangles: This link takes you to a video explaining this great card game. A fun challenge for any level, although perfect for grades 1 and 2 (in terms of the numbers you work with).

Here is some adding practice that uses the concept of decomposing (Great for grades 2-4):

Subitizing

Subitizing feels like a super power.  It is being able to identify quantities without counting. Often these amounts are small (2-6…think dice patterns), but they can be used strategically to break down larger amounts and visually multiply.

Click here for an excellent break down of what it is and how it can be taught K-5 by Christina Tondevald from Building Math Minds. Here are a few free printables from Building Math Minds

Subitizing Games: Click here and scroll down to find the subitizing heading.

 

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