Games

Signed Numbers: an onscreen game where students practice signed number arithmetic, test their understanding of decimals, and improve their estimation skills.

Complex Numbers: This is the same game for complex arithmetic. Rectangular form for addition and subtraction, polar form for multiplication and division.

Basic game: two players take turns placing the pentominoes from one set on an 8⨉8 board. The first player who is unable to play loses the game.

This can be played (on one computer) using my Virtual Pentominoes.

I suggest several variations on the game, and related puzzles, on pp. 74-76 of Working With Pentominoes. (Where to get it.)

This is played using Lab Gear blocks. Place a few blocks in a bag, for example `5x`, `y`, and `xy`. Students must guess which blocks are in there. They can ask questions in the format "If `x=2` and `y=3`, what's in the bag?"

A full description of the game, and some easier ("scaffolding") versions of it, can be found in Algebra Lab Gear: Algebra 1, pp. 103-104. (Where to get it.)

Pent is a two-person strategy game, invented by George Mills. In this blog post, he challenges players to help him think about it!

My Spirograph Simulation is a fun way to create symmetric figures.

Some of the activities in my Abstract Algebra unit are game-like...

...as are these explorations of rate of change: Stairs and Doctor Dimension.