Finding Zero
Kids are not told the rules for Finding Zero. They're just told that they have to find zero. They can click on any of the circles, but they have no idea what's going on, and that's on purpose. Too often we spoon-feed kids. Sometimes they need to be kept in the dark. They've got six taps. Maybe they land on a five, then a four, and four is pretty close to zero. It might take your class three or four or five tries to really figure out what's going on: the numbers run around a loop, and you can find zero in six clicks or less.
This is projected in front of the class, and the kids choose one at a time. You're not having hands raised. You say, "Okay, Susie, it's your turn. Come on up." Susie might be shy, and looking at her can intimidate her. So you face the board, you face the puzzle, and you say, "Okay, Susie, where do you want to click?" Every so often you look back, just to make sure she's coming forward.
Once the kids have played around for a while, it's time for a game. There's still a loop, but now it's an invisible loop. I used to split classrooms right down the middle. I no longer do that. Instead I highlight one little group of four kids against the rest of the classroom, because it provides some humour. They try to find zero in as few clicks as they can, and then the rest of the class has to beat them. And 99 is really close to zero, but the kids won't know that at the start. It's a fun game, but it's very deep. I could take it to a math department, and mathematicians would be trying to work out the fewest clicks that guarantee finding zero. It's going to engage your gifted kids, and it's going to engage your struggling kids.
- Grades
- 1–6
- Subjects
- Counting & Estimating, Adding & Subtracting, Logic
- Kind
- Game
Broken TV
Longest Road
Slug Salad