Post #3

 This week, I will be sharing an Algebra game I will be doing with 9th graders as a part of a class called "Problem Solving," which they take concurrently with Algebra I. The purpose of the course is to emphasize the real-world applications of mathematics.

My goal in creating this activity is to promote engagement with my students. I find that a few select students participate everyday, but other students need prompting to engage in discussion, group work, and individual work. 

The New York State standard this covers is AI-A.CED.1: Create equations and inequalities in one variable to represent a real-world context.

I created a version of a game called Trashket ball after reading this blog post from another math teacher. I tailored the game to fit my own classroom and I created my own worksheets based on the content we had been learning. 

Below is the teacher guide I wrote up for the game:

Students complete worksheets. When they have everything correct, they crumple them up and toss them into the garbage. They automatically earn one point for completing the worksheet correctly. They can score two or three points based on their distance from the trash can, if they make it!

1. Before class starts, set up the trash cans and lines where they can throw from. Project the rules slide up on the board.

2. You have a stack of worksheets with different problem solving questions that they have learned. You also have an answer key for each worksheet.

1. There are 7 different worksheets in total. Your stack of sheets is shuffled so you can pass them out easily.

2. Each worksheet has a letter at the top so you can differentiate between them easily. They also each have a box where students should write their answers so you can check them easily. 

3. Students should have their pencil and calculator out on their desks. They may also use notes if they wish. They should work independently.

4. Pass out the worksheets to the class

5. As students finish a worksheet, they should line up at your desk so you can quickly check their answers.

1. If they are correct, they may crumple up their paper and toss it in the trash can. 

2. Mark the number of points they earn for each worksheet in the roster provided.

1. 1 point for correct worksheet

2. 2 points if they make the “2 point” can

3. 3 points if they make the “3 point” can

6. Students should take the next worksheet from the shuffled pile to work on. If they already did that one, they should take the next one.

7. This continues until time is up. The student(s) with the most points wins the game.

Rules Slide:

Score Sheet:

Worksheets & Answers Linked Here

• The worksheets covered the following topics that we have done recently
• Age problems
• Uniform distance problems
• Percent and percent change problems
• Sales and discount problems

Reflection:

My goal in creating this is to increase engagement in my classroom. This game gets students moving and adds a sense of competition. I think that both of these will increase engagement. Additionally, all of the worksheets are meant to be done independently. I think that students will feel a sense of responsibility for their own understanding of the material and use this game as motivation to review and check their understanding of the things we have learned over the past few weeks. 

In my classroom, I struggle to engage some students because I have a large range of ability levels. One of the benefits of this game is that it allows students to go at their own pace. There is no expectation that students need to get through every one of the worksheets. For more advanced students, they can move at a faster pace than their peers who take a little longer to produce correct answers. I am hoping that every student will be engaged for the entire period.

I think that other teachers could benefit from this game as well because it is so easy to adjust it to any sort of unit, and even across different content areas. Let me know if you've ever tried anything like this!