Lesson 16

The purpose of this warm-up is to introduce the context of carnival games and have students consider the elements that make a good game. While students may notice and wonder many things about these images, constraints that make a game challenging, rules that make the game fair, and the way someone can win the game are the important discussion points.

• Groups of 2
• Display the image.
• “What do you notice? What do you wonder?”
• 1 minute: quiet think time

• “Discuss your thinking with your partner.”
• 1 minute: partner discussion
• Share and record responses.

• “What makes a good game?” (It’s challenging, but not too hard. The rules are clear. You improve at the game the more you play.)
• “How do you think you might win each of these games?” (Get the most pennies in the cup. Roll the marble the furthest.)
• “What are some ways you could design each of these games to make them challenging and fair?” (You have to stand far enough from the cup to make it challenging to get the penny into the cup. Everyone gets the same number of pennies to toss into the cup, so they get the same number of turns. Everyone has to use the same type of tubes to design their marble run. Everyone gets three tries to try to make their marble go the furthest.)

The purpose of this activity is for students to use the provided materials to design their own game. If available, students can be provided with additional materials not included in the materials list. Students decide the rules and objective of the game. After playing the game at least once, students revise their design to include 2 of the following elements: measuring elapsed time, measuring distance, multiplication or division within 100, addition or subtraction within 1,000.

If there is time, a pair of students from each group can swap with another group at different points of this activity so they have an opportunity to play a different game.

• Gather tape measures, toilet paper tubes, marbles, pennies, paper cups, and a collection of balls that bounce for students to use as they create their games.
• Other material not included in this list can be made available to students to use to create their games.

• Groups of 4
• Display materials students will use to create their game.
• “We are going to use these materials to create a game. With your group, discuss how you could use the materials to make a game. Think about the rules of your game and how someone can win.”
• 2 minutes: small group discussion
• Share responses.
• Give students access to materials they need to make their game.

• “Use the materials to make your game. As you work, think about our discussion of what makes a good game. Once your game is done, take some time to play your game with your group.”
• 20–25 minutes: group work time
• “Now, revise your game to include 2 of the following: distance, elapsed time, multiplication or division, or addition and subtraction. If you have time after you make your revision, play the new game.”
• Monitor for groups who revise their game to include:
  • distance
  • elapsed time
  • multiplication or division
  • addition or subtraction
• 10–15 minutes: group work time
• As students work, consider asking:
  • “What elements did you add to your game when you revised it?”
  • “How did this change the rules of the game?”
  • “Did it change the way you win the game? If so, how?”

• “Find another person in the room who you did not work with and describe the rules of your game and how someone wins.”
• “How did your group redesign the game?” (We added points for each ball. We recorded when the game started and ended.)