Description: “Get Lucky” is a fast-paced thinking game that requires students to be creative in the ways that they can manipulate basic operators and randomly given integers to reach a “lucky number.” “Algebra Jeopardy” is a team-based activity that tests the knowledge students have acquired in the classroom with review questions categorized by topic. The combination of these games is appropriate for students in 6th through 9th grade (Algebra 1).

 

How to Play:

1. Separate into teams of 2-4 people.

 

2. Once teams are made, the game leader picks a “lucky” number (any integer) and each team draws three cards randomly from a deck of cards that has been shuffled and sprawled out on a desk.

 

3. Once your group has your three cards, quickly determine which combination of cards will put your team closest to the “lucky number” the game leader has chosen. Teams can choose two of the four basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) to achieve a number closest to the one selected by the teacher. However, no card or operator can be used twice. Additionally, Aces are worth 1, Jacks are worth 10, Queens are worth 12, and Kings are worth 13.

 

For example,

Let us say that the “lucky number” is 90 and

Your team draws a 5 of Clubs, a Jack of Diamonds

(11), and a 4 of Hearts.

Some of your options include:

 

(5 + 11) * 4 = 64, (11 - 4) * 5 = 35, (5 + 4) * 11 = 99, (11 * 4) - 5 = 39, etc.

 

Options you may not use include:

 

(11 - 4) * 4 = 28 (repeated card)        (11 * 4) * 5 = 220 (repeated operator)

 

The most ideal situation would then be to select the combination that totals 99 because it is closest to 90!

 

4. Once the game leader says that time is up, all groups will present their card combinations. The team closest to the “lucky number” wins the round!

 

 

 

Student Handout

 

5. In the case of a tie or if two teams have totals that are equidistant from the “lucky number,” the teams will settle the match via Rock, Paper, Scissors (best 2 out of 3). In the case of more than two teams having equidistant totals, the round is discarded.

 

6. Repeat two (or more) times and have teams tally their scores. They will carry over to Algebra Jeopardy.

 

7.  Now moving into “Algebra Jeopardy,” the team with lowest score from “Get Lucky” will go first. If there is a tie, it will again be settled with Rock, Paper, Scissors (best 2 out of 3).

 

8.)

 

Teams answer one after the other, choosing whatever subject and points they wish from the projected game board.

 

 

9.) If one team answers incorrectly, the team directly after has the chance to answer for double the points issued to that specific question. If that team answers incorrectly, then the team directly after has the chance to answer for triple the points issued to that specific question. If the question circles all of the way back to the initial team, the question is thrown out, and the team following the original team continues.

 

10.) Every cycle, a different student should answer than the one who went before on the same team.

 

11.) For the final minutes, the game moves into Final Jeopardy. Prior to answering, teams must wager all, some or none of their points.

 

Student Handout

 

12.) Each team that answers correctly gets the exact amount of points they wagered.  If a team answers incorrectly, they lose the amount that they wagered. The winner is the team with the highest score at the end!

 

 

 

Variations:

 

Poker Face

 

After all teams draw their cards and have been given the “lucky number,” the option is given to each team to exchange one or two of their cards for new ones. This choice is optional and is not required if only one or some of the teams choose to do so. Play continues normally.

 

Lemmy’s Luck

 

Any team that draws the Ace of Spades is given the option to eliminate another team from participating in the round. Once the team is eliminated, play continues normally.

 

Jokers Wild

 

Two Jokers are placed in the deck, and act as “wild cards.” Wild cards may be assigned any value between 1 and 13. The value must be announced when the team that draws the card presents their combination. No changes may be made following this announcement. Play continues normally.

 

All In

 

No changes are made to the general gameplay. However, if a tie occurs, preference will be given in the following order: straight flush (cards in numerical order all of same suit i.e. 6, 7, and 8 of Clubs), flush (cards all of the same suit), straight (cards in numerical order), three of a kind, one pair. Play continues normally.

 

 

 

Questions:

 

• What is the smallest “lucky number” one could achieve with one hand (three cards)?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Handout

 

• Given that the “lucky number” is 2 and you’re dealt a King of Hearts, an Ace of Diamonds, and a Queen of Clubs, what strategy do you use to win?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Given that the “lucky number” is very large (greater than 169) and you draw three Kings, you have an advantage. What is it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Create your own variation of “Get Lucky,” and explain what effects it would have on both game play and team strategy.

Teacher Lesson Plan

Grade levels

Algebra Jeopardy is a game that is compatible with freshmen (possible early sophomores) in high school taking Algebra I.  The template itself can be adjusted to adapt with other curriculum so as to be used with other grade levels.  The template is a power point presentation that allows the teacher to pick the questions at his/her discretion.  Our goal was to use Algebra Jeopardy as a fun-filled exam review that gets the entire class involved.  Get Lucky is a game that can be applied to a broader range of grade levels.  It requires only knowledge of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and quick thinking.  Suitable grade levels are 6th grade and above.

 

Game Type

Combination of several types

• Pending on questions asked in Jeopardy…
  • Allows learning the language of mathematics
  • Know facts
  • Understand concepts
  • Devise strategies (wagering)
• Get Lucky
  • Develop arithmetic skills

 

Required materials

• A deck of cards
• A computer enabled with Microsoft Power Point
• A score sheet
• Paper and pencils for the students (for scratch work)
• Projector and white screen

 

 

Instructions (Games are played in unison with each other)

 

• The class is numbered off into 3-5 teams via counting off before the games start.

(1, 2, 3…..1, 2, 3……etc)

 

GET LUCKY

• Once teams are made, each team draws three cards randomly.
• The teacher picks a “lucky” number (any integer).
• Students can choose two of the four basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) to achieve a number closest to the one selected by the teacher.  No card or operator can be used twice.  A=1, J=11, Q=12, K=13
• Example, team picks J (11), 5, 4.  Teacher picks 90.
  • Options include: 51, 35, 49, 24, 99, etc.
  • Ideal situation is for students to choose (5+4) * 11 = 99
  • Two operations were used and no card was used twice
• The team with closest possible combination will receive 10 points.
• If two teams are equidistant from the “lucky” number, the round is settled via rock, paper, scissors (best 2 out of 3). If more than two teams are equidistant, the round is discarded.
• Repeat two (or more) times and have teams tally their scores. They will carry over to Algebra Jeopardy.

 

ALGEBRA JEOPARDY

• Team with lowest score from Get Lucky will go first.  If there is a tie, it will be settled with Rock, Paper, Scissors (best 2 out of 3)
• Teams answer one after the other, choosing whatever subject and points they wish.  If one team answers incorrectly, the team directly after has the chance to answer for double the points issued to that specific question.  If that team answers incorrectly, then the team directly after has the chance to answer for triple the points issued to that specific question. If the question circles all of the way back to the initial team, the question is thrown out, and the team following the original team continues.
• It is the teacher’s duty to make sure all participants are answering questions within the individual groups.  Every cycle, a different student should answer than the one who went before.
• After first ten questions, due to time constraints,  the game will move into Double Jeopardy (all questions are worth twice as much)
• For the final minutes, the game moves into Final Jeopardy (teams can wager all, some or none of their points).  If answered correctly, team gets the exact amount of points they wagered.  If answered incorrectly, they lose the amount they wagered.
• The winner is the team with the highest score at the end.

 

 

 

 

 

Correlation with NCTM standards

 

Get Lucky requires students to “think on their feet” by quickly executing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division between three numbers to devise an answer that closely matches the one asked by the teacher.  The correlation with NCTM standards is that Get Lucky allows for students to “develop a deeper understanding of very large and very small numbers and of various representations of them.”  Get Lucky also allows students to “understand meanings of operations and how they relate to one another.”

 

Algebra Jeopardy encompasses all the NCTM standards required in Algebra some of which are to “understand patterns, relations, and functions.”  The questions asked are either variations from upcoming class exams or variations of possible state exam questions.

 

The process of the game itself requires communication within the team and fast problem solving skills.

Number and Operations
Standard	Expectation	How it is addressed in Get Lucky/Algebra Jeopardy
Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems	Develop meaning for integers and represent and compare quantities with them	In Get Lucky, teams formulate several ways to try and obtain the ‘lucky number’ through of combination of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and /or dividing.   There are different combinations that will yield different numbers.
Understand meanings of operations and how they relate to one another	Use the associative and commutative properties of addition and multiplication and the distributive property of multiplication over addition to simplify computations with integers, fractions, and decimals	In Get Lucky, teams only have an option of choosing 2 out of the four operations to yield the closest answer. They must know how multiplication differs from addition and how division differs from subtraction and when to use which operator.
Compute fluently and make reasonable estimates	Develop and analyze algorithms for computing with fractions, decimals, and integers and develop fluency in their use	Hands are dealt over and over in Get Lucky. As time goes on, more hands are dealt and the students become faster and wiser with their strategies in the game.
Algebra
Standard	Expectation	How it is addressed in Get Lucky/Algebra Jeopardy
Understand patterns, relations, and functions	Identify functions as linear or nonlinear and contrast their properties from tables, graphs, or equations	In Algebra Jeopardy, there are questions which test the ability to both identify graphs and draw them effectively.
Represent and analyze mathematical situations and structures using algebraic symbols	Recognize and generate equivalent forms for simple algebraic expressions and solve linear equations	In Get Lucky, students are required to develop a quick equation using basic operators and solve for a target number using linear equations.
Problem Solving
Standard	Expectation	How it is addressed in Get Lucky/Algebra Jeopardy
Build new mathematical knowledge through problem solving		Encompassed in both Get Lucky and Algebra Jeopardy, students are required to use their judgment and strategic thinking to arrive at the solution.
Solve problems that arise in mathematics and in other contexts		In Get Lucky, there are multiple numbers to choose as your final answer but only one will be the closest.
Apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems		In Get Lucky, the inclusion of variants makes it necessary for students to be able to understand how the new rules change the strategy for winning.   In Algebra Jeopardy, students’ problem solving skills are put to the test via brainteaser questions.
Monitor and reflect on the process of mathematical problem solving		Since keeping scores is a vital process of both games, it becomes easy to see which teams are grasping the problem solving concepts, allowing for extra help to be given to those with low scores.
Communication
Standards	Expectation	How it is addressed in Get Lucky/Algebra Jeopardy
Organize and consolidate mathematical thinking through communication		Students are split up into teams and in Get Lucky are required to show what their answer is and how they arrived at it.
Communicate mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to peers, teachers, and others		Students need to be team players and converse with one another to arrive at an answer that is agreed upon by all.
Analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and strategies of others		Along with developing their own strategies, teams will assess the strengths of their opponents to ensure victory.
Use the language of mathematics to express mathematical ideas precisely		Within Algebra Jeopardy, questions are laid out in a very similar format to what a student may encounter on an exam, giving a familiarity with what type of syntax could be expected when asked a question.
Connections
Standards	Expectation	How it is addressed in Get Lucky/Algebra Jeopardy
Recognize and use connections among mathematical ideas		Students begin to see in Get Lucky how different operations between different numbers yield different answers.  If they lucky number is high, they know to use multiplication as of the two operators.  If the lucky number is low, they know to divide.
Understand how mathematical ideas interconnect and build on one another to produce a coherent whole		With the inclusion of variants within Get Lucky, students must be able to understand how the new.
Recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics		Various “word” questions within Algebra Jeopardy test the ability to assess the question and identify the mathematical tool needed to solve it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teacher’s Answer Sheet

Get Lucky:

 

1.) What is the smallest “lucky number” one could achieve with one hand (three cards)?

 

A: The smallest number one could achieve playing with standard rules would be -168 (an ace and two kings).

 

2.) Given that the “lucky number” is 2 and you’re dealt a King of Hearts, an Ace of Diamonds, and a Queen of Clubs, what strategy do you use to win?

 

A: (K – Q) + A = (13 – 12) + 1 = 2

 

3.) Given that the “lucky number” is very large (greater than 169) and you draw three Kings, you have an advantage. What is it?

 

A: If you have all three kings and are playing with standard rules and one deck of cards, you know that you hold three of the four kings, making it impossible for an opponent to get a higher total than you (K*K = 169, K*Q = 156).

 

4.) Create your own variation of “Get Lucky,” and explain what effects it would have on both game play and team strategy.

 

A: While there is no right answer, all forms of the game should attribute victory to a fair amount of chance. Have students explain what makes their game easier, harder, or more interesting and what strategies other students would need to discover to win in their version.

 

Algebra Jeopardy:

 

Solving Equations:

10) x = -5

20) x = (y - b)/m

30) n = 5

40) x = 2

50) t = 10

 

 

 

Graphing Equations:

10) (View Drawing)

20) Vertically

30) Horizontally Forward

40) D

50) A

 

 

Quadratic Formula:

10) f(x) = ax2 + bx + c, where f(x) = 0

20) (-b (+/-) (b2 – 4ac)1/2)/(2a)

30) b2 – 4ac

40) x = -7; x = -3

50) x = 4; x = -3

 

 

Systems of Equations:

10) x = -2; y = 2

20) x = 4; y = 5

30) x = (51/13); y = (3/13)

40) x = (13/54); y = (1/18)

50) 14 chickens; 48 goats

 

 

Trivia:

10) Arabic

20) 4

30) 11 out of 36

40) 40

50) 26

 

Final Jeopardy:

(270 votes + 72 years)/4 wins = 85.5 or 171/2 or 342/4