Skip to main content

Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum? No! FIDDLE, FADDLE, FLOP!


Hi All,

Ready for another great game? Ready for Fiddle, Faddle, Flop? It's a great game for place value, mental math, and number work. You can play anywhere at any time. All you need is a pencil and paper or board and markers.



Tell students that you are thinking of a number. Explain that it has two digits. Invite them to guess the number. You will respond to their guesses by saying one of four words: Fiddle, Faddle, Flop, or Correct. Here is the translation for those words:



Fiddle: one of the digits is correct, but is in the wrong place



Faddle: one of the digits is correct and in the correct place



Flop: none of the digits is correct



Correct: both digits are correct



For example, if you are thinking of the number 17 and my guess is 68, you would say Flop since none of the digits is correct.



On your next guess, if you were to say 76, I would say, Fiddle, because one of the digits is correct, but in the wrong place.



Encourage students to keep notes on each number guessed. Have a discussion with the class on what kind of note taking makes sense and would be helpful in gathering information to eliminate numbers and gain clues to make a more educated guess.

Once players get some experience you can move to three digit numbers. Can you do more? Would you need to add more response clues? (Fiddle, Faddle, Flop, Fuddle?)



This is a good game to debrief and discuss regarding strategies. It is also great to use when you have an extra five minutes or you are just feeling a tidge competitive. :)

Here's a pdf of a simple worksheet or scoresheet for playing.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gDK6XNn-3braDDUt-5Nn6Llu8H8dwbiq/view?usp=sharing

All the best. Stay well. God Bless.
Bob


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What Does Not Belong?

 Hi All,   "What Does Not Belong" is such a great little concept and can be applied to so many different areas of math as well as other content areas. Great little game when you are waiting, like for buses to be called or for the day to begin. Also a great game for long car or bus rides where if there are no written numbers or pictures you really have to do the mental math. Present a group of numbers. Start with maybe six. Say, 10     56     17     122     4     98 Ask the players to identify which number does not belong and have them explain why. We want players to look at the characteristics of the numbers and compare them to try to find the selection criteria or "rule" so they can determine which does not belong. For example, we have a mix of 1, 2, and 3 digit numbers, so it's not the "rule" is not the number of digits. We have five even numbers and only one odd number. That's it! 17 does not belong,...
2 comments
Read more

Piaget Would be Proud! Assessment, Mental Math, Manipulatives, Thinking, Missing Addends, and Kumquats!

 Hi All, This is a super simple, but very revealing activity and so works as a good assessment. Fantastic for Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Grade 1. Try it out and see what you learn about your students. Display a small number of objects in your open hands. Here we have 4 kumquats. (Because I have a kumquat tree in my yard. Any small manipulative will do.) Put your hands behind your back. Close one hand and bring both hands back out in front of you to display 2 kumquats visible in one hand and a closed hand with the rest of them. Remind students that you started with 4 and there are still 4 all together. Ask students, what is in the closed hand. Ask how they know this. Then reveal and discuss. Try another one. Show the 4 objects again, 2 in each hand. Put your hands behind your back and redistribute with 1 object in one hand and 3 objects in the other. Bring your hands to the front and ask how many are in your closed hand. Ask how they know this.  Then reveal and discuss.   Yo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Calculator Caller!

Hi All, I had a colleague I taught with for years. She was a passionate second grade teacher with a lot of solid experience. A parent once asked her, "What is the most important thing you can teach a child?" I was thinking that's a tough question. Maybe, to treat others like you would treat yourself? Her immediate reply was, "Place value." Ha, ha! She was a real math maven! Place value is important though! Here's one fun partner activity that gives kids practice with calculators (which they need in standardized tests as well as real life), place value, number recognition, and number words. It's motivating because most kids love to get their hands on calculators and as teachers and parents we're usually telling them, "No calculators!"   1. Each player gets a calculator and a recording sheet. The lead player decides on a number, inputs it into his calculator, writes it down on the record sheet, says it aloud, but does not let his partner se...
Post a Comment
Read more