ULTIMATE GAMING EXPO

About the project

Students of Class III used board games to simulate a trading activity in a shop where they learned how addition and subtraction are used to keep track of sales. This sparked their interest in board games and led them to designing various board games which they showcased in the ‘Ultimate Gaming Expo’ they conducted as the project culmination event.

Driving Question

How do shopkeepers keep an account of their sales? 

Process

The driving question led students to think of simulating a trading scenario in the class room and they decided to use board games. Using the ‘Think Pair and Share’ discussion strategy, students identified key elements of a board game, including rules, objectives, target age group, gameplay instructions, theme, and required materials. This started a joyful journey through various hands-on activities and meaningful discussions.

The students embarked on lively discussions about familiar board games like Monopoly, Ludo, and Business, among others. They enthusiastically immersed themselves in the world of board games, gaining hands-on experience that extended beyond mere entertainment. While playing these games, they explored intricate strategies for performing calculations, resulting in enlightening discussions that unveiled the mental processes behind adding and subtracting 2-digit numbers.

One noteworthy strategy that emerged was the ‘Split Strategy.’ Students learned to break numbers down into their tens and ones components, adding the tens and ones separately. Additionally, our students acquired another valuable technique – using the Number Grid up to 100. This tool proved instrumental in reducing their reliance on finger counting, fostering a gradual shift toward mental calculations.

Students delved into a pool of puzzles, including pyramid puzzles, hexagonal puzzles, fact families, and finding missing digits, among others. These activities strengthened their number sense and established better relationships between numbers, which they successfully used in calculating sales in a shop.

The project got students filled with excitement about board games as they collaborated in groups to create their own board games. During this creative endeavour, they assigned specific roles and responsibilities to each team member, including game designers, puzzle creators, game developers, and game masters. This clear delegation of tasks provided them with a structured and organised approach to the board game design process.

Their curiosity led to questions about the history of board games. They conducted research, uncovering fascinating historical facts such as the discovery of India’s and the world’s oldest board games. They also found Hindi names for some board games, like Pachisi (Ludo), and eagerly shared their findings with classmates.

Project Culmination

Students presented their learning journey with a captivating Gaming Expo, a platform where they proudly exhibited an array of board games they had meticulously crafted. During this event, they not only showcased their creative endeavors but also engaged in interactive activities designed to reinforce the concepts of addition and subtraction.

The exposition commenced with an intriguing math puzzle for parents to solve. This set the tone for the event and was followed by a presentation by our young toymakers, who captured the audience’s attention with interactive sessions featuring riddles, historical facts about board games, and a Bingo game based on mental math.

Students also offered insights into their journey of designing the board games and how it enhanced their grasp of strategies to make calculations easier. These board games were based on a variety of themes, such as dinosaurs, space, jungle, pyramids, and the sea. The names of the board games, such as ‘Escape to the Dungeon’ and ‘Race to the Top of the Mountain,’ allured parents to play the games designed by the students.

A reflection exercise was conducted in the class, wherein the students shared their most enjoyable moments from the journey and one thing they learned through this experience. Meanwhile, parents filled out feedback forms, giving us the opportunity to reflect on the success of this journey.

Teacher Reflection

Project-Based Learning offered a comprehensive exploration of the concepts of addition and subtraction by seamlessly integrating them with various disciplines, including languages, physical education, and history. The incorporation of diverse hands-on activities and stimulating discussions facilitated a profound and multifaceted comprehension of these mathematical concepts.