Math: Number Sense and Operations

Grades 3-8: Instructional programs from Pre-Kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to understand meanings of operations and how they relate to one another.

• In grades 3-5, all students should identify and use relationships between operations, such as division as the inverse of multiplication, to solve problems.
• In grades 6-8, all students should understand the meaning and effects of arithmetic operations with fractions, decimals and integers.

Math: Algebra

Grades 3-8: Instructional programs from Pre-Kindergarten through grade 12 should Understand patterns, relations, and functions.

• In grades 3-5, all students should represent and analyze patterns and functions, using words, tables, and graphs.
• In grades 6-8, all students should relate and compare different forms of representation for a relationship.

Standards are listed with permission from Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, copyright 2000 by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). NCTM does not endorse the content or validity of these alignments.

Source:Principles and Standards for School Mathematics

Students play a game to review mathematical operations and gain fluency in adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing numbers. They take turns selecting from number sentences to solve problems that are grade level appropriate. The teacher uses a timer to regulate the amount of time spent on solving problems. Assign points for correct answers and reward the winning team with incentives or treats. This game can be adapted to any grade level by modifying the complexity of the number sentences.

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Figure D

Note: This lesson can be created using either Ellison AllStar or SureCut Dies.

Supplies Used: Cardstock (15" x 15"), Glue, Marking Pen (Black)

The teacher will die-cut the materials for student use prior to the lesson.

1. Cut nine 5" x 5" squares of construction paper from three different colors.
   
2. Adhere the colored squares to a 15" x 15" piece of chipboard or cardstock (Figure A).
   
3. Die-cut 18 Puffy Stars from yellow construction paper.
   
4. Use a black marking pen to write a single- or double-digit number on nine of the Stars (Figure B).
   
5. Adhere one numbered Star to each colored square to create the game board (Figure C).
   
6. Write number sentences on the remaining nine Stars, making sure that each sentence matches with a solution on the game board (Figure D).
   
7. Multiple number sentences can be matched to the same solution Star (e.g., 5 x 2 and 8 + 2 both equal 10) (see Main Photo).