We’ve just completed our first math project of the year. I worked with Jackson to create a card game centred around exponents and exponent laws. At the beginning of the project, I created a Project Start Mind Map, then I added to it at the end of the project. My new and improved additions are in purple.
Click on the image to see it in higher resolution.
To record my learning in this blog post, it will be easiest to choose a few of the competencies of Math 9, and focus on how I’ve improved in those areas.
The first competency this post will focus on is ‘Estimate Reasonably.’ This was very important in our game, as without a calculator you had to estimate how many points you had, and how many points the other players had, to decide to end the game. This rule was originally created just to end the game, but it became an important part of the strategy, which helped me understand this competency.
The second competency I’d like this post to focus on is ‘Use Mathematical Arguments to Support Personal Choices.’ This was an important part of the game creation- why would you do anything in this game, or really, at all, if there’s no math to back it up? We wrote and edited the game rules so that every turn you have a choice from which deck to draw. This helped me learn how math affects your personal choice.
Another competency that I think is important to focus on is ‘Represent Mathematical Ideas through Concrete, Pictorial, and Symbolic Forms.’ This was a huge part of the design of the cards. It was important that it was clear that the exponent and number cards were different. We used a few different things to distinguish them- different colours, fonts, and labels, to name a few.
The last competency that I think I’ve improved in during this project was ‘Develop, Demonstrate, and Apply Mathematical Understanding through Play, Inquiry.’ This was helpful because even when people were just starting to play our game, with little understanding of exponents, they were able to learn about exponent laws through our game. Every time we practiced our game, we understood the exponent laws better.
I think that every competency that I improved in over the course of this project was important for the success of our game. Thanks for reading my blog post!