A game that turned out to be fun :)

I did this game this week in all of my classes - honors and regular. I don't have a name for it yet, so if you've got an idea for it, let me know. Maybe someone else made it up before me, but feel like I discovered it on my own. Here's what happened:

0. I split the class into teams. I prefer groups 4 or smaller. Four is even a little big. The goal of the game is to get the most points.

1. I cut some scratch paper up into 1/8th sheets and pre-made a bunch of inequalities that students need practice solving. I had enough for about 1.5 per group.

2. I handed out a paper with an inequality on it to each group. Each team's job is to solve the inequality on a SEPARATE piece of paper and then bring their solution with the card to me.

3. I then sat at a desk with my handy-dandy 10-sided die of fate and a colored pen. When a representative of the team showed up with a solution  I would quickly look over it and offer changes they need to make it right. They then had to go fix their mistakes (even little ones.) A line quickly formed. Even simple mistakes puts you at the end of the line.

4. If a solution was presented to me that was correct, I would say so and roll the Die of Fate. Whatever number showed up would be how many points I'd write on their paper and initial. I would then give them a new paper with a new problem and they would solve that one. This continued until I decided it should stop (about 5 min before the bell to take care of business.) Winners got a prize - candy.

Comments: I absolutely love the random amount of points awarded. Difficult problems can end up being worth 1 points while easy ones can be worth 9. I think it helped my "un-engageables" become involved because even though they didn't answer as many questions, they could still win the game due to the random factor. I also gave them easier questions to start and worked them towards the harder ones. I also like how this game is very general: I can put whatever problems I want on the cards. Take that! classic worksheets. Why do a worksheet when you can play a game?

Concerns: It is difficult to monitor the class while you're looking over solutions. One team member could be doing all of the work.