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Math Lesson: An 'Odds or Evens' Game

Subjects

Educational Technology
Mathematics
--Arithmetic

Grade

K-2
3-5

Brief Description

Use these games and other resources to reinforce the concepts of odd and even.

Objectives

Students will

  • demonstrate understanding of the concepts of odd and even.
  • play games that reinforce their understanding of odd and even.

Keywords

odd, even, math games

Materials Needed

  • Internet access
  • Game 1: deck of cards
  • Game 2: 1 die for each pair of students; paper and pencil

Lesson Plan

If you teach very young students, you might introduce the concepts of odd and even with:

Then play one or both of the odd-even games below to help reinforce the skills.

If you teach second or third grade, review the concepts of odd and even with students, then check their understanding by using one of these resources:

Then play one or both of these odd-even games below to help reinforce the skills.

ODD-EVEN GAMES

Game 1

Odd Team Out

Gather the cards numbered 1 to 9 from a deck of cards and shuffle. (The other cards in the deck will not be used for this game.)

  1. Arrange students into two groups with the same number of students in each group.
  2. Give each student one of the playing cards numbered 1 to 9.
  3. Arrange the two groups of students in two circles, one inside the other. Have students in the inner circle turn to face a “partner” in the outer circle. Then have each partner pair add the numbers on their two cards. If the sum of the two numbers is odd, the students are out and go back to their seats. If the sum is even, the partners stay in the game.
  4. Have students on the inner circle rotate one student to the right so they are facing a new partner. Have the partners add the numbers on their cards. If the sum of the two numbers is odd, the students are out and go back to their seats. If the sum is even, the partners stay in the game.
  5. Have students on the inner circle rotate one student to the right so they are facing a new partner. Continue the game until only one set of partners remains standing.

Game 2

19: An Odd Game

  1. Arrange students into pairs. Each student should have a sheet of paper and a pencil. Provide each student-pair with a die.
  2. Instruct students to write the number “19” at the top of their papers.
  3. Have the first student roll his or her die. Is the number rolled an odd number or an even number? If the student rolled an odd number (1, 3 or 5), the student must subtract the number rolled from 19. If the student rolled an even number (2, 4 or 6), the student will add the number rolled to 19.
  4. Have the second student roll his or her die. Is the number rolled an odd number or an even number? If the student rolled an odd number (1, 3 or 5), the student must subtract the number rolled from 19. If the student rolled an even number (2, 4 or 6), the student will add the number rolled to 19.
  5. Continue playing until one of the players loses all of his/her 19 points.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

If you teach older students, you might play the Even and Odd Numbers Game. Click START and go around the classroom, giving each student an opportunity to respond by calling out Odd or Even. Then you might arrange students into two teams. Select the “Countdown” option and give each student a time limit (30 seconds? 1 minute?) to accumulate correct answers and points for his or her team. Alternate teams; give each student an opportunity to accumulate points for his/her team during the chosen timeframe. Keep a running tally of accumulated points for the two teams. Then you might follow up this game with some more Even and Odd Activities.

More Games

You might 1) play some of these games with students, 2) suggest they play them during free time, or 3) share these game links with parents so they can reinforce the concepts of odd and even at home.

Odd or Even Number Game
Ghostblasters: Even
Ghost Blasters: Odd

Assessment

Create a grade-appropriate assessment activity. Students have mastered the concepts of odd and even if they score 80% or better on the assessment.

Lesson Plan Source

EducationWorld.com

Submitted By

Gary Hopkins

National Standards

MATHEMATICS: Number and Operations
GRADES Pre-K – 2
NM-NUM.PK-2.1 Understand Numbers, Ways of Representing Numbers, Relationships Among Numbers, and Number Systems
GRADES 3 – 5
NM-NUM.3-5.1 Understand Numbers, Ways of Representing Numbers, Relationships Among Numbers, and Number Systems

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