From: Gail 
To: Teacher2Teacher Public Discussion
Date: 2000052411:29:29
Subject: Re: Teaching basic math calculations:subtraction

Do you have pattern blocks, or other types of "things" that could be
used? You might play a racing game...   I call it "Race to Zero".  

You can make each piece worth a certain amount, for example, if you
are going to stay in base ten, then one piece will be worth 1, another
will be worth ten, another worth 100, and so on.  each play starts
with the same amount, say, 100.  Then you roll the die, and have to
get rid of that much.  If you start with100 and need to get rid of 6,
you must break that 100 into ten tens, and then break one of the tens
into ten ones.  Now you can give up 6.  The play continues until
someone gives away his last piece. 

You can also use this with a different base, four, for example...   to
show how regrouping really works.  Don't tell students the
connection... let them figure it out as they play ( they will, trust
me...).   Anyway, say you have chips, and the red one is worth 1, and
the white one is worth 6, and the blue one is worth 36, and the black
one is worth 216...    it works that way, because 6 reds is a white,
and 6 whites is a blue, and 6 blues is a black. So now you can play
race to Zero, and you trade back from black to get the right amounts.

	

Post a reply to this message
Post a related public discussion message
Ask Teacher2Teacher a new question