Four's A Winner

Junior (Age 9 – 12)

Curriculum Goal

Junior: Number Sense

  • Recall and demonstrate multiplication facts from 1 × 1 to 10 × 10, and related division facts.

Context

  • Students work in pairs.
  • Students should have prior experience multiplying numbers up to 9 x 9.
Print Lesson
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Playingcards.io File

Materials

In-person version

Online version

Lesson

  • The goal of the game is to get four of your chips in a row (vertically, horizontally or diagonally) before your opponent.
  • One player shuffles the deck of cards and each player takes a turn choosing a card. The number they pull is the factor they will put their first star on at the bottom of the game board.
  • For the first round, the player that pulls the higher card will calculate the product of the equation created by the first two factors and place their chip on that square (e.g. if a nine and a six is pulled, the player who pulled the nine will declare the answer is 54 and place their chip on the 54 square).
  • From this point onward, players move their own star on their factor row to strategically create an advantageous product with the number their opponent selected in the previous round. (i.e. Players must use the number they’ve selected and the number selected by their opponent to create their next product).
  • Players take turns changing their own factor star to make a new product and place a chip on the board.
  • The first player to have four chips in a row on the product game board wins the game.

Look Fors

  • Can students determine the products of numbers up to 9 x 9?
  • Do students consider how their opponent might use the factor number they are placing their star on to make a needed product?

Extension

  • Add larger numbers to the factors or product sections of the game board.
Print Lesson
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Playingcards.io File

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