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Math Games
With Jane and Joanne

Fishing for
Division Facts

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LEVELS

Grades 2 - 3

SKILLS

  • beginning division facts

PLAYERS

  • 2 - 4

EQUIPMENT

  • playing cards Ace (= 1) through King, Jokers removed; Jack = 12, Queen = 14, and King = 16.

GETTING STARTED

Each player is dealt five cards from the deck. The remainder of the deck is placed face down in the middle of the playing area.

Players take turns asking another player if he or she has a specific card. Players are searching for numbers that will match numbers they already hold in their own hands. Players ask by creating a division question.

    Example:
  • Do you have any 12 divided by 3's (4's)?
  • Do you have any 10 divided by 2's (5's)?
  • Do you have any 7 divided by 1's (7's)?
If the player asks Do you have any 12 divided by 3's? to a player who has a 4 in his hand, that player must give up his 4 to the player who asked the question. The player who asked the question now has a pair of 4's. She puts them down in front of herself.

Each player may continue asking questions until they are unsuccessful in finding a match. If a player does not have the number asked for, she says "Fish" and the player asking the question takes a card from the top of the deck. If that card results in a match, he puts down the matched set in front of himself. If there is no match, he keeps the card in his hand and the next player takes her turn.

Play continues until one player is out of cards. Players count up their pairs. The player with the most pairs is the winner.

Joanne Currah and Jane Felling have created two best-selling math game books -- Shuffling Into Math (for teachers of grades K-3) and All Hands on Deck (grades 1-9). Each book includes simple instructions for more than 100 math games that help children discover math concepts and reinforce math skills. Education World is pleased to present a selection of those activities in this series.

Click to learn more about these books and other exciting products and service from Joanne and Jane's Box Cars and One-Eyed Jacks.

More About Box Cars and One-Eyed Jacks

Joanne Currah and Jane Felling created their company, BOX CARS & ONE-EYED JACKS, for the sole purpose of making math fun -- not threatening or frustrating -- for children. Joanne and Jane spend many days each year on the road as they train teachers to make math fun for kids and run Family Math Nights at schools. To learn more about the authors, their books, and the services they provide, visit them at www.boxcarsandoneeyedjacks.com or email them at [email protected].

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