CECmath.44

TITLE:  Listening Practice / Team Review

AUTHOR:  Karen Riggins, Churchill County Junior High;
          Fallon, NV

GRADE LEVEL:  4+;   Math

OVERVIEW:  I use this activity to build listening skills,
encourage teamwork, and to review important math concepts.

MATERIALS:
Chalkboard, chalk, erasers, scratch paper, pencils

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
     Students are divided into groups of 4 or 5 and given a
team name or number.  Each group numbers off 1-5 within
themselves.  The teacher calls off a number(1-5) and the
student in each group with that number goes to the board
under his/her teams name.  The teacher gives a problem to
each team to solve.  Team members are to help the person at
the board and not allow the person to sit down until the
team agrees on the answer.  Once the person sits down, the
answer CANNOT be changed.  After everyone is seated,
everyone is allowed to scan the board and STEAL points if an
answer is wrong.  If more than one team wants to steal, the
teacher can have them draw straws or pick numbers to see who
gets a chance at the steal first.  When stealing an answer,
the original answer cannot be erased.  The new answer is to
be written below or to the side.  Points are given for right
answers, showing work, neatness, correcting another teams
answer(steal), following directions.  The teacher calls off
another number and the next set of students goes to the
board to work a problem etc.  The teacher DOES NOT at
anytime offer assistance to a person at the board.

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:

Teacher Direction/Assessment Ideas/Possible Extensions:

     My classes beg me constantly to play this game.
Students who normally don't like to participate will play
because their friends are there to support them.
     When picking team members, I usually pick the teams for
the first few times.  After that I let them pick teams.
     You as the teacher are in total control of how points
are given.  I take away points for teams who disrupt while I
am giving problems, constantly talk, or don't follow
directions.  I even take points away if they erase before
they are told to do so.  I give extra points for neatness,
showing work, exceptional behavior.  I use the points earned
as to who gets to leave the room first or as extra credit
points added on to their homework grade.
     When giving the problems to the people at the board, do
not repeat the question.  This makes the whole team listen
and write down the problem!!!
     I often use this as a review before a test or for those
days when the daily schedule is messed up.  The students
learn a lot from this activity and are usually very
attentive the entire time.  For me, this game works the best
with the hyper classes that have several students who cannot
focus for very long.  It allows those students to be
constantly active.