Target number

Summary

A game where students work together to create number sentences to reach a target number.

Curriculum content

• Add and subtract numbers to 20
• Use addition facts and subtraction facts to 20
• Solve problems involving addition and subtraction

Materials

Card sets

• 1 set of Mathletics number cards 1 to 20 1-20
• Mathletics operation symbol and word cards + and – and ‘added to’, ‘take away’, ‘plus’ and ‘minus’

Concrete

• Counters (or other countable objects)

How to play

Set up

1. Arrange students in teams of 2.
2. Shuffle or mix up the Mathletics number cards.
3. Make a pile of number cards and a pile of operation cards.
4. Provide each team with 20 counters.

Rules

1. Player 1 from the pair turns over a number card and an operation card. The number card becomes the target number.
2. Teams work together (using the counters if needed) to create one equation which uses the operation to reach the target number.
3. Players record their number sentences.
4. Used cards are placed to one side.
5. When a pair has used all of their operation cards, they call out ‘stop’ and the game ends.
6. The winning pair reads out their number sentences to the other pairs for checking.
7. Return cards to their piles, shuffle and play again.

Variations

CHANGE it down

• Reduce the number range to 1 to 10.
• Remove the competitive aspect.

CHANGE it up

• Students turn over two number cards and an operation card and create an equation incorporating all three cards.
• Ask teams to try to record more than one equation for each target number.
• Ask teams to record a second equation which uses the same numbers (creating inverse operations)
  eg Target number: 15
  Operation: –
  Equation 1: 16 – 1 = 15
  Equation 2: 15 + 1 = 16

What to look for

• Are students able to recall any facts to 20?
• Are students able to use counters to make the target number?
• Are students able the make the target number without using counters?
• Are students able to create an inverse operation?
• Did students demonstrate creativity in their number sentences?
• Was there evidence of strong number sense in the types of sentences created?