
Patterns and Algebra

Guess The Number
This game involves asking people questions about a number to determine its identity. We played two variations. In one, each person wrote down a number and the other person asked questions to try and find out what it was. Similar to the classic board game, Guess Who. In the second variation, each person had a secret number on their back and would ask multiple people questions to figure out what it was. Both times people pointed out the same flaw: difficulty remembering what you asked and what answers you got. I think a good way to improve the game would be for each person to have a hundred's chart in front of them to cross out the numbers they have ruled out. For example, if told it is not a multiple of three, cross out every third number. If told it is higher than 50, cross out the top half of the chart. This teaches problem solving using the process of elimination. Alternatively, use a Guess Who board, take out the cards and put in number cards to play like a game of Guess Who.
The thing I like about this game is the wide range of possible questions. It can tie into most any numeracy unit. You can ask whether the number is greater than or less than a number and narrow the range, you can ask if it's even or odd, if it's a prime number, if it has a 5 in the ten's place, if it's a multiple of 3, if it is represented by a coin, and more. I think a good strategy, so that kids don't get asked a question way over their heads, is to pair together students who are on similar levels of understanding so that they will ask questions they both understand. Another variant you can do is play in kindergarten with a smaller range of numbers like one to ten, then questions like "is it the number of sides in a square"or "does it have curves" could be used.