Math guessing games

GUESS WHO Math Games: Practicing Skills with Student Engagement and Rigor

My five-year-old is really into board games lately (and to her dismay at times, my three-year-old is really into moving the pieces where they don’t quite go…what are little sisters for?) I know there are a ton of snazzy new board games in recent years, yet I couldn’t help but introduce her to some of the old classic ones I played as a kid. Playing this particular one with my daughter is also what inspired me to create many Guess Who Math games for the classroom.

The Original GUESS WHO Game

If you happen to be unfamiliar with the game, it’s very simple. Each person has a card with a “mystery person” on it, and you try to be the first one to guess who your opponent’s mystery person is by asking yes or no questions (for example, “Is your person wearing glasses?”). It’s a process of elimination of flipping down flaps on the game board until you can narrow it down and “guess who” it is.

My daughter received the game as a present for her birthday, and she always wants to play. We’ve easily played it 100 times. When I’m getting dinner ready or we’re trying to get out the door to go somewhere she’ll beg, “Just one round, please Mommy!” and it’s hard to resist.

Now, while the maternal part of me enjoys the simple fun of playing games with my daughter, sometimes it’s still hard for me to turn off my Teacher Brain. I couldn’t help thinking that if my own kid wants to play this over and over, then it would probably have the potential to be an engaging game to use in the classroom as well.

GUESS WHO Math Game for Place Value

My first thought was that it would lend itself very well to number sense and place value, so I popped out those little faces from the traditional game and replaced them with numbers. This set with 3 digit numbers is the one I use most often with my second graders, but I also have sets for 1 and 2 digit numbers.

Many of my students were already familiar with how to play “Guess Who?” so it was very easy to show them the rules for the new math game: “Guess What Number?”

It is played much like the original, except that they ask questions to guess their opponent’s mystery number. It is AMAZING how this really gets students thinking and using their number sense. The game definitely ups the ante when it comes to rigor, because it takes a lot of skill to not only formulate questions, but also eliminate numbers based on their opponent’s answers. It has been such a worthwhile (and fun!) way to practice place value concepts.

If you’d like to use this place value game as a math center or early finisher activity in your classroom, the resource includes FOUR game sets:

Numbers 0-20 (technically, 0-23 since there are a few extra flaps)
2 Digit Numbers
3 Digit Numbers
Mixed Numbers (a game with a combination of 1, 2, and 3 digit numbers)

These multiple versions can be used for differentiation based on students’ ability levels. You can switch to the versions with greater numbers as students progress throughout the school year.

Using Question Stems and Visual Supports

I anticipated that students might get a little stuck thinking of questions to ask, particularly when first learning how to play. I made these “cheat sheets” that they can keep next to them as they’re playing to be able to refer to them as needed.

Most of the kids in my class did rely heavily on the cheat sheets at first, but I noticed that the more familiarized they became with the game, the less they needed to look at it. They have also made me proud by coming up with their own questions that are not on the sheet, such as, “Is it the sum of ____?” or “Is it between the numbers ____ and ____?”

This game did require a bit of modeling and support early on. I sat in on games when there were new players so that I could provide help when needed. But it did not take long for most students to get the hang of it to where they could play independently. It is also very clear that over time, they have been able to develop a much deeper number sense and improve their mathematical reasoning in the area of place value.

More GUESS WHO Math Games

Since I’ve seen how effective this game has been in improving number sense, I created Guess Who games for additional math concepts. Some skills are: standard/expanded/word form, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, counting money, telling time, geometry, and fractions! All of these games can also be found by searching “Guess Who” in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

GUESS WHO games for Upper Grade

I’ve also had some upper grade teachers reach out with some game requests. One was for Place Value to the Thousands, Ten Thousands, and Hundred Thousands, which is now available on TPT.

And a fifth grade teacher asked if I could make a version for decimals. Ask and you shall receive, because I now have Guess What Decimal too! I’ll admit that I was a little rusty in the decimals department, but I reached out to teachers at my school and they gave me a good refresher.

I also had some of their students test out the game, and I was blown away by their skills. I didn’t feel “smarter than a 5th grader” as I watched them play, but the game was a major hit! The kids were super focused, engaged, and asked when they could play again. It would definitely make for a popular math center or early finisher activity in a fourth or fifth grade classroom. 5 different game sets are included for students to practice comparing decimals:

Practice Decimals with Ones and Tenths
Math Decimals to the Hundredths Place
Decimals to the Thousandths Place
Mixed Decimals (a combination of the 3 games above)
Mixed Decimals with 0 Ones (the most challenging version, where students can only rely on numbers after the decimal point)

GUESS WHO Math Game Bundles

All of my Guess Who math games are available individually, or if you love a good deal, the multiplication and division sets come in their own discounted bundle. You can save on the rest of them with the Guess Who Math Games Growing Bundle or Guess Who Math Games MEGA bundle in the shop here on my website. Both bundles are also available on Teachers Pay Teachers.

The MEGA bundle includes ALL of the games (every game in the original bundle, plus the ones for multiplication, division, decimals, and place value up to the hundred thousands).

When you scoop up either bundle now at the current price, you get all future game sets FREE. New games are 50% off for the first 24 hours. Make sure to follow me on TPT if you want to save!

Both growing bundles also includes an editable version. The possibilities are endless with these editable templates, which can be used for any grade level, skill, or subject.

Storage for GUESS WHO Games

With so many game versions, it helps to stay organized! I recommend storing each set of game board cards and mystery cards in separate containers. I keep mine in the Recollections Color Photo & Craft Keeper (sold on Amazon or at Michaels). You can get labels for FREE right here and they can be printed on full sheets of sticker paper.

Game Board Compatibility

Some of the older or alternative versions of the actual Guess Who board game have different sizes, and my game cards may not fit with those editions. Each of my game sets come with two templates. One is compatible with a previous version sold through Amazon Prime (the board has 4 rows with 6 in each row, and is pictured in all of the photos above). The other is this newer version of the board game. This newer Amazon Prime version is the set that has 3 rows (and 8 in each row) with the longer flaps seen here:

If you’d like more ideas for engaging math practice based on classic games, you might also want to check out my color Jenga game sets.

There’s a group of kids out there that is so lucky to have one very special person in their lives. Someone who is taking the time right this second to look for new ideas to make math and learning fun for them. Guess who? 😉

Guess the Number Game - Math Games

Guess the Number Game - Math Games - SplashLearn

Home > Games > Math Games > Guess the Number Game

Dive deep into the world of place values by guessing the correct number.

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Know more about Guess the Number Game

The game encourages students to apply their understanding of place value to identify the number. Here the rigor is beautifully balanced by asking students to work with 3-digit numbers. Students will choose the correct answer from the given options to solve the problems.

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Guessing station. Along the paths of entertaining mathematics

Unified State Exam: Russian, literature and mathematics will do without "guessing"

The last USE campaign was recognized by officials and experts as "the most objective in the history of the Unified State Examination." All classrooms were equipped with video cameras (with their help, public observers monitored the honesty of the test via the Internet), the scheme for delivering task forms was changed, and the possibility of ticket leakage was excluded. Distributed tasks by time zone. The new head of Rosobrnadzor, Sergei Kravtsov, personally traveled to many regions, including the North Caucasus, which was considered problematic, and mobilized local officials to fight for objective USE results.

In fact, the main indicator of the honesty of the 2014 examination campaign was the urgent reduction of the "minimum scores" - the "three" level - which officials had to go after the completion of the tests, so as not to leave too many graduates without a certificate of secondary education. The exact data was not disclosed, but it was at least ten percent who would have received "failed".

If in 2014 the emergency measures took many by surprise, now there will be no more surprise and you can prepare to fight for high scores in the new conditions. "ProParent" visited the demonstration exam in literature, talked with officials, experts and writers. As it turned out, in order to successfully pass the USE-2015, in addition to strong knowledge, several more factors must be taken into account.

The right strategy

Starting from this year, the exams themselves will be partially changed. Firstly, in mathematics there will be two options: profile and basic. If a graduate plans to enter a humanitarian specialty, he does not need to take on too much and write a work of an advanced level.

- In the basic version there will be tasks "from life", - explained the head of the Federal Service for Supervision in Education and Science Sergey Kravtsov. - Those who plan to enter universities in the specialty, where mathematics is one of the competitive exams, must definitely take the profile level, it is more difficult.

Language preparation

An oral part will be added to the foreign language exam. Languages are usually taken by future linguists, so it will hardly be a big problem for them to say something out loud. But one thing must be taken into account: the experts will evaluate the oral task according to the audio recording of the graduate's speech. Therefore, it is worth practicing speaking into the microphone, working out your voice and manner of speaking, so that the recording sounds as clear as possible and, if possible, beautifully. And in general, learn to speak into the microphone, and not addressing the interlocutor.

No "maybe"!

In tasks in the Russian language, literature and mathematics, there will no longer be a test part "A", where you have to choose one answer out of four offered. This section is also called "guessing". Some lucky dummies managed to guess all the answers of this part and, due to the points scored, scrape together for a "C grade". By the way, the "guessing game" will soon disappear from exams in all subjects.

Without unnecessary nerves

- When I passed the trial exam, I was able to understand how nervous it is, requiring calmness and meticulousness, - said the writer Natalya Terentyeva. - Now, when my daughter goes to the exam, I will make sure that she has a good rest the day before. And I will set her up in such a way that no failure on the One will prevent me from loving her just as much. I think it will be easier for everyone.

One of the most frustrating parts of the One is filling out the title form. The one where you need to write your last name, the number of the USE exam point, rewrite the number of the sheet with tasks ... Nothing complicated, but it requires extra stress and scrupulousness just before the start of the exam. This problem should be treated philosophically and not let the formalities bring down your working mood.

Precisely and calmly

Filling in the USE forms is a formal thing. Knowledge and creativity, perhaps, should be applied on a draft, when searching for the right answers to tasks and questions. But it is important to remember: an incorrectly written letter or number in the answer sheet can create a lot of problems from scratch. It will be all the more offensive if everything is done correctly, but written in the wrong place, with a typo or in the wrong case - a computer that checks most of the tasks will simply not be able to enter into a position, understand and forgive. Of course, there will also be an appeal where you can try to defend your points. But why bring the situation to this when you can just fill everything neatly?

- In our technological age, it is very important to press the right button or tick the right box, - Isaak Kalina, head of the Moscow Department of Education, is sure. - Therefore, it will be useful for young people to learn how to fill in the forms correctly.

Know the subject

When passing the exam, they check the knowledge of the school curriculum in the subject, and not the subject in general. Because of this, difficulties can arise for strong students who have long studied university textbooks for all courses, and for professionals.

- When I was given the task of the Unified State Examination in Literature, I quickly looked at the questions and realized: I will not pass this exam, - writer Mikhail Veller shared. - Of course, I can name the main character of the work I read. But to name the word that refers to "internal experiences of the character" - no. Although, perhaps, such a term exists.

Therefore, before the exam, it is worth repeating the definitions and classifications once again, remembering the terms, even those that you rarely use, but which are found in textbooks.

Do not wear metal

Passing the exam is forbidden not only to use mobile phones, cameras and any other equipment (except for non-programmable calculators on individual items), but also to have them with you in the classroom. If even a turned off phone is found in the pocket, this is enough to cancel the exam without the right to retake it until next year. While writing the work, the graduates are monitored by the organizers, observers in the audience and via video broadcast on the Internet. As the experience of the Unified State Examination-2014 showed, it is very difficult to quietly write off the device. However, there is still a toilet. But this option is not entirely reliable either - examiners have the right to check whether everything is in order with a graduate who has taken leave of need.

Moreover, there may be metal detectors at the entrance to the exam site. Just so no one would be tempted to break the ban and try to smuggle in the phone. It is not difficult to deceive the "frame" - the secret is available to anyone who knows physics at least "three". But why do it? Moreover, the risk is high, and possible dividends are very doubtful.

Do not draw

Another subtle but very important point. In no case should you leave any notes on the answer sheet other than the actual recording of the answers. Any dot or, even more so, a drawing on it is considered a violation, due to which all work must be canceled. Why? There is a danger that this is not an accident, but an attempt to mark your work so that experts check it as favorably as possible. The answer sheet itself is not signed in any way, and such notes can be applied if you wish to cheat.

What should I do if, for example, a pen leaks? Contact the organizers and ask for a reserve form. There you will have to rewrite the answers already included in the corrupted one. But on the other hand, suspicions of fraud will no longer arise.

You can draw with impunity only on a draft. What to do if there is such a need. Moreover, you can get as many sheets for your thoughts and calculations as you like.

Sneak?

If the examiner suspects that someone in the classroom is cheating, that graduate will be asked to go to a special room. This is done in order not to distract everyone else with conversations. Such an invitation "to exit" is not yet removal from the exam. Last year, monitors on video broadcast suspected a young man who, while doing work, leaned heavily back in his chair all the time. There was a complete feeling that he was writing off a sheet of paper lying on his knees. However, everything was different. As it turned out, the height of the young man is more than two meters. At the standard student desk, he simply did not fit, took the only position in which he could fill out forms. Naturally, all suspicions were removed from him, he completed the work.

Therefore, if the examiner asks you to leave, you just need to leave with him. Don't panic and don't freak out. Nothing terrible happens, just a question that needs to be politely answered.

Don't be late!

The most offensive way to fail the exam is not to arrive on time for the exam. Or running out of breath at the last minute.