Lesson 2:Using Games and Activities
Lesson Objectives:
This lesson will allow students to explore a variety of game templates that they can utilize in their own classroom. Students will also be exposed to websites with review games embedded within them. Games are engaging way for students to review and are something that should be considered for use in every classroom.
1. By the end of class, students will be able to locate free games online that they can utilize in their own classroom.
2. By the end of class, students will be able to create their own game or activity for use in the classroom when provided with a blank template.
Part 1: Preexisting Games:
There are a lot of preexisting games on the internet that your students can use to practice at home. What is nice, is that you can either utilize them during class or students can practice with them any time of day. Here are a few you can check out:
1. IXL- http://www.ixl.com/
IXL is a website that allows students to practice a wide variety of math topics. All they have to do is search their grade level, choose a topic, and begin practicing. The goal is for them to pass (Get to 100) each level that they work on. However, they tough part is if the student get a question wrong, it bumps their score down. So they really have to be paying attention and trying their best. At the end they get a certificate of completion.
There is a down side to this site. It is not free. Students get about 3-5 free practice sessions, and then they have to buy a subscription. It can be expensive so that is something to keep in mind.
2. Soft School- http://www.softschools.com/math/games/
This website if full of free games for younger students. There are games that range from simple operations, to fractions and decimals.
3. Math Play- http://www.math-play.com/
There are a wide variety of games on this site that range all the way from 1st grade to Geometry. You can easily navigate this site using the links in the middle of the page or the tabs on the left hand side. Most of the resources on this site are Jeopardy review games of each topic.
After you look at these games, I would like you to create a discussion post in our class forum. Please discuss whether or not you think this type of review would be beneficial for your students. Why or why not? Do you have any specific sites you use? Respond to two of your classmates before the end of the week.
Part 2: Creating your own Games:
It is not always easy to create your own game templates for use in the classroom. Honestly, most of us do not have time to do so. So there are a lot of resources out there that you can utilize in order to make things a bit easier. Here are some things to look at.
*Keep in mind you may use resources from any of these sites for your final project. Be sure to start thinking about what you are going to do
1. PowerPoint Templates:
Take a look at the site: http://people.uncw.edu/ertzbergerj/ppt_games.html
This site has a wide variety of PowerPoint game templates that you can utilize. The nice thing is, many of these templates just require you to come up with review questions for the specific subject area that you teach. Most of them are also full class participation games.
2. SmartNotebook Templates:
Take a look at: http://exchange.smarttech.com/#tab=0
This site is absolutely free to sign up for. It is a great place to find and share resources with other teachers. Once you have registered for this site, you may search for different game templates that you can use with the SmartNotebook technology. If you have more time to explore, they also have a lot of lesson resources that you can utilize, besides game templates.
3. Promethean Board Templates:
For those of you with a Promethean Board, you can look at the site: http://www.prometheanplanet.com/en-us/
This site is also free to sign up for. Just like the SmartNotebook site, you can share and use resources from other teachers. You can register, search for the type of game template you are looking for and then just download it and input your information.
Resources:
- Free math games. SoftSchools.com. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from http://www.softschools.com/math/games/
-Free online math games. Math Play. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from http://www.math-play.com/
- Lesson plans and resources for your SMART Board. Smart Exchange. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from http://exchange.smarttech.com/#tab=0
- PowerPoint Games and Game Templates. (n.d.). PowerPoint Games. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from http://people.uncw.edu/ertzbergerj/ppt_games.html
- Promethean planet. Free Teaching Resources, Lesson Plans & Worksheets – Promethean Planet. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from http://www.prometheanplanet.com/en-us/
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