This year my focus has been to constantly engage my students in mathematics in activities outside of the curriculum. Within my research I came across a activity for students to practice while learning their multiplication facts. The name of this activity is SALUTE.
How to Play:
- Use a set of large playing cards or create a set on large index cards. For this activity, Aces= 1, Jacks = 10, Queens = 11, and Kings = 12. The joker can be removed from the set or you can make them another one of the numbers. (Be sure to write the value of the face cards on the board for the students to see or take the face cards out of the deck if your students are not able to recall the values.)
- Call two students up to the front of the room. Hand each student a playing card.
- Ask the students to hold the card face down in front of them. Students should not look at the card.
- The students then stand next to each other at the front of the room.
- On the teacher's cue, the students hold the card up to their foreheads with the front of the card facing the teacher and the audience.
- The teacher looks at the students' cards and tells them the product of their numbers
- When the teachers say, "SALUTE!," both players face each other, look at the other person's card, and try to guess the number that is on the front of their card
- The first player to guess their number correctly is the winner of the round.
Variations:
- Use addition for younger students
- Try using three cards/ digits for a multiplication or addition challenge
- Create integer problems with negative numbers being represented by the red cards and positive numbers being represented by the black cards
Reflection: It is all about engagement. My ultimate goal is always for students to have fun learning. I never want the learning process to become so routine that it bores both me as the teacher and my students as the learners. My goal as a educator will always be to research best practices for student learning. Activities like this will always give students a opportunity to have fun while learning. I personally would use this activity as a center activity and or a fluency activity before my problem of the day. I would use it as away to get the students engaged in what ever strategy I am teaching that day. It is my personal goal to make math fun for all students I come across.
Hey Maalik. This a a great. I appreciate how you put a lot of focus on engagement. I think being able to keep a childs attention is one of the keys to learning. The game seems great if you ever get a chance to play it with your students let me know how it goes!
ReplyDeleteI love this game! This is a great way to practice equivalence. I know my students would be so engaged. I would definitely use this when learning about balancing equations. It forces your students to think on their toes and really become flexible when adding numbers. It might also be a great opportunity to discourse constant difference. For example, if the sum if 24 and one student says 12 + 12 and the other says 13 + 11 you can chart that on a number line and ask them why they chose those numbers. It would be helpful for the whole class to see! - Maureen
ReplyDeleteHi Maureen, thank you for your reflective feedback! I am so glad you will be using this in your classroom! -Marlee
DeleteGreat game and awesome multiplication building skills! I will definitely use this in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteHey Maalik, I agree with you learning should be fun, especially math. That is also one of my goal as future teacher is to be able to make learning fun and engaging.
ReplyDeleteps my new blog is: https://amalfiplp.blogspot.com/
Hi Amalfi, I am glad to hear this is your goal also since I believe it is so important! -Marlee
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