Cooper Elementary students in Christine Ahrens' fifth grade classroom recently participated in a three-day math tournament. Using the game 24, students worked in teams or individually to compete in this friendly competition.
After the tournament, Ahrens commented, "The students' concentration level was extraordinary. Students showed tremendous sportsmanship and respect for one another."
The game 24 requires students to use four numbers to come up with the number 24, using a combination of the math operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and/or division. When the student states that he/she has "it", he/she must give the answer without hesitation. An example of four numbers may be 6, 2, 4, and 2. Try it!
Students played 10-minute rounds and then switched opponents; based on how many cards they collected in each round. On the third day, the group with the most cards played against Ahrens and won!
Ahrens, added, "It was great to see the students' minds work in so many different directions. They were excited when they did come up with the answer and were able to share different solutions with the rest of the players.
Note, one solution using the numbers above is: 4-2=2, 2+2 =4, 6x4=24