Activity
Classroom Idea: More-Less Game
Subject
Math, Science & Technology
Grade Levels
Elementary, Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten
Note
This "classroom idea" is provided to illustrate examples of each performance indicator. Teachers should feel free to use it or adapt it if they so desire. Some of the ideas exemplify more than one performance indicator and/or incorporate topics in science and technology. In those instances, the appropriate performance indicators will be identified.
Authors
Mathematics Resource Guide with Core Curriculum Writing Team
Description
Provide students with a "more-less" spinner, linking cubes, and a "more-less" card. The spinner has two equal sectors;
one says "more" and the other says "less." There are two cards, one labeled "more" and the other labeled "less."
The children
play this game in pairs. Each child snaps a train of cubes together. The trains' lengths are matched with one another
so each child starts with the same number of cubes. Then each child breaks his or her train into smaller stacks. These
stacks can be any size the child desires as long as the children have two different sizes. To begin, each child puts one
stack on his or her work mat and puts the appropriate "less-more" card with the stack. One of the children spins the
spinner. If the spinner indicates "more," the child with more cubes on his or her mat wins and takes both stacks. If the
spinner says "less," the child with less cubes wins and takes both stacks.
Repeat the activity until one child runs out of
stacks. The student with all the cubes is the winner.
Source
Mathematics Resource Guide with Core Curriculum Writing Team. “Classroom Ideas.” Mathematics Resource Guide with Core Curriculum, New York State Department of Education, 23.
