Monday Made-It: Math Workstations

As the school year nears closer, I'm getting more crafty to get ready!  This week I "created" several workstation games for students to play when they finish their classwork.  I got all but 1 of the games from this 4th grade PDF file: Building Conceptual Understanding and Fluency Through Games.  I created several copies of 4 games, all related to Place Value.  I plan to create another 3-4 before next week!

 Game 1:  Variable Digits
Students select any spot on the board.  Then they use a pencil and a paper clip to spin a digit, and can move to any touching space that has that digit.  That student records the value of that digit, and the next person gets a turn.  After 5 turns, all players add up their scores and the highest (or lowest if you want a change up to the rules) wins!

Does anyone else remember the Price is Right game where you could move forward, backward, or side-to-side by standing on the squares... that's what this game reminds me of.

Game 2: Digit Ski
Another spinner game, in this one they spin for a place value position and draw a card.  Then, the students says the digit and value that are in that position.  I hope this will reinforce the positions, my students often get the thousands, ten thousands, and hundred thousands places confused!

Game 3:  Becca's Battle
I added a picture of the gameboard to this one, since you can't see it in my picture.  Each student puts 5 game pieces on the letters START, the goal is to move all of his/her pieces to the opposite side.  The student draws a card and rounds it to the value on the board.  This is one of my favorites because it involves place value, rounding, and critical thinking - and allows you to "kick" your opponent's game piece back to START, hehehe *evil laugh.*

I'm thinking I need to make an answer key to this one, since rounding is such a tricky skill for the kids. I don't want them to be practicing wrong.

Game 4:  Appalachian Steps
I think the kids will love this game!  They draw a card and figure out what step they are on.  Depending on their luck they may either stay on the step, move up one level, or move down one level.

Example:  If the 1,000's digit is less than 7, move down one step or Take two cards and tell which is larger - if correct, move down one step, incorrect move up one step.

Thanks for reading, I hope these activities / games will help someone else out that wants to use workstations or centers in their Math class!