Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Great Math Game



Do you ever wish you had something fun to do while stuck waiting for an appointment or for a meal at a restaurant? We played this today in math class - I call it Mastermind.

Make three columns on a piece of paper (or paper placemat) titled Guess, Digit and Place. Write a three-digit number (no two digits the same) on a slip of paper, then have others guess the number. Write their guess in the first column, how many digits are correct in the second column and how many of the correct digits are in the correct place in the third column. Don't tell which digits are correct or in the correct place, only "how many". People keep guessing using the clues until they have the number correct, and may need assistance from you in reasoning through the exercise. As they progress, move into four- and five-digit numbers.

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