Clear Your Board

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Objectives: The following activity meets objectives found in the 7th grade South Carolina Mathematics Curriculum Standards .

Materials Needed:

• 2 number generators (dice)
• Playing board with spaces numbered from 2 through 12.
• 15 place markers (chips, pennies, etc. to mark the space)

What To Do?

• Place your 15 markers on the numbers on the board. You may use any pattern and can place all of your markers on one number if you choose.
• On each of your turns, you will roll two dice and remove a marker from your board the number equal to the sum of the two dice. For example: If you roll a 2 and a 3, you will remove a markers from the 5 on the board. If you do NOT have a marker on the sum rolled, then you lose that turn.
• The object of this game is to be the first person to clear your board.
• Answer the questions below.
• You can play this game more skillfully.

Questions

1. As you play this game several times, how are you changing the placement of your markers and why?
2. If you were going to give a novice advice about how to play this game skillfully, what would that advice be?
3. What strategies can you recommend for winning?
4. What variations of this game can you recommend for winning?
5. What variations of this game can you create?
6. What math skills are you applying while playing this game?
   

 

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Melanie Sprouse
last updated on August 23, 1998