Arrrgh, mateys! Captain Multiply here. Arrr ye ready for a wee math review game? Well, come aboard me ship, The Array, and let the adventure commence! Captain Add has stolen me treasure. He thinks that addin’ is the only way to get the right answer. But we know better, don’t we, mateys! Your mission is to follow the clues on me map and use your amazing multiplication skills to locate me treasure. If we find it, I shall share all of me spoils equally with you.
It’s room transformation time–mostly with costume, voice, music, thematic question cards and worksheets, and a REAL treasure. Ok, it’s chocolate covered gold coins. But the kids don’t know that when we set sail during this multiplication review game. After introducing the activity with my Irish pirate character, I show the students their “mates” for the challenge and call each team up to collect their clipboards with the “map” worksheet. Earlier in the day when the class is out (music, PE, or art), I tape up the 18 “clues” (which are multiplication questions) at various locations around the room. The cards include X story problems, repeated addition equations, and drawn arrays. Teams record their responses on the map. When they have completed all 18, they can check with me for verification. Any incorrect answers can be fixed as other teams finish up. Groups that have all correct responses are given the challenge to support another team (not give answers, but suggest strategies). Once everyone is done and returns to the ship (their seats), I ask the crew for information on the location of the stolen treasure. I always place the final #18 card where the chest is buried, usually my lidded ottoman or closet. When I have a team “dig it up” for us, the whole class is surprised to learn that there is an actual chest with gold coins. I have a sign that reveals there are 100 (or another multiple for the number of students that year), so they can have the extra challenge of dividing that number equally. 100 / 25 = 4 gold coins each. The sweet reward at the conclusion of this activity is three-fold: candy, knowledge, and confidence.
Kristen Foley 