Making+Basic+Math+Facts+Fun

Introduction
One of the ways that I plan to make some of the middle level and secondary mathematics classes that I teach more rigorous an relevant is to make basic skill review more engaging. I feel that basic skill review is still very important for our students. Even with the increase availability and use of technology people still need to do some mental and hand calculations. These skills are important for both students going to college and those learning a trade.

Lesson Idea Objective
The objective of this teaching idea is to make review of mental mathematics more engaging for my middle level and secondary students.

Description of Lesson Idea
At the following website http://www.cut-the-knot.org/Curriculum/Arithmetic/BrokenCalculator.shtml there is a web-based application called Broken Calculator. This application shows a basic arithmetic calculator with about one-third of the keys visible. The instructions explain the lesson objective is to calculator the numbers 1 through 15 with the visible keys. This web-based application in naturally engaging -- like a game.

The key to using this site about once a week as a review and assessment of basic arithmetic is to make sure that all my students become engaging in the activity and that I have a method of recording their achievement of mental arithmetic.

Method of engaging my students in the activity: 1. Vary the mode of using the web-based application. To start with I would use it as a whole class game, projected from the teachers computer. I would break the students into groups and they would take turns communicating verbally their calculation. The team that got the most numbers would win. I would have a list of the students and record comments on the group discussion and participation, so that when they did this activity independently I would know which students would need individual help. 2. When in a computer lab I would have the students do that activity individually or in pairs. I would record comments on the individuals that struggled or could not finish the activity independently. I would take time to work with these students individually before or during the next time we did the broken calculator activity. 3. Assess the student engagement and continually change the way the student use the Broken Calculator and their incentives for getting all 15 numbers. This is important so that the social aspect of the activity does not get stale.

Questions to Ask, Assessment Ideas, and Lesson Extensions
1. After the students have played the game, a teacher could suggest some function of integer arithmetic that most students are not using. 2. Method of requiring students to verbalize their strategies and operations is important. So grouping or pairing students around a computer and taking turns explaining the key strokes to their classmates is a great lesson extension. 3. This activity can be played with cards. Cards with the same operations, numbers, and sign symbols can be dealt in groups and the students do the same activity without a computer. 4. This application can also be down-loaded so that you do not have to use web-assess.

**Reflection**
As technology is used more, mental mathematics is used as a check of solutions from technological tools. It is hard to engage students in mental mathematics activities, so why not make the activity into a game. It is only productive and rigorous if teachers identify students who have basic operational misconceptions and correct those misconceptions. I see this as the task of the teacher while they are playing the Broken Calculator activity: Collect student information on engagement and misconceptions.