The Elimination Game

About

Aim of learning: to learn times tables or number bonds

How many players: the whole class together

You will need: just your class standing up

Rules

First decide if you want to plat multiplication elimination (times tables) or number bond elimination (Adding and subtracting numbers to make a set total). Divide your class into two clear teams and get them to push in their chairs and stand up.

On your command get the children to walk around the class in any direction.

You then say stop and all the children stop where they are. You then ask the class a question (differentiation: some easy questions, some at expected level, some challenging questions)

What is 3x4?

Any children who know the correct answer put up their hands and the teacher chooses one. If the answer is correct the person who answered correctly can take one step in any direction to try and touch one member of the opposite team on the head. If they can do this then the person they touch is eliminated and sits down on their chair. If they cannot touch anyone then they are eliminated  and touch their own head and sit down. If they get the answer wrong they touch their own head and sit down.

The teacher then says go, all the children walk around until the teacher says stop and asks another question. ( Questions for e.g. Year 3 would include all the expected times tables questions including 2,3,4,5,6 and 10 and also 7,8,9,11 and 12 as well as questions like 13x 4, 15x5, 12x0 etc for more able and 2x2, 1x8, 2x10 for less able.

The game continues until each group gets smaller and smaller and then the space they can move round in is limited e.g. to carpet area only.

The winning team eliminates the other one.

Great for all the class to join in and for the teacher to regulate the participation of the children (less able children answering questions soon realise they can eliminate the more able children)

Adaptations to game: doubles, near doubles, division facts

Worksheet