Subtraction Game - a Fun Game for Students - Learn Subtraction Facts with Zebras

Subtraction Game - Subtraction Strategies Bump is a two players race game. Players race around the outside track answering subtraction algorithms as they go. On giving the correct answer the students place one of their counters on the algorithm's answer in the center of the board. The game is ideal for practicing Subtraction Basic Facts and for developing number strategies associated with Subtraction.

What You Need:

2 Players
1 Bump Board
2 playing pieces (e.g. counters, coins, small rocks, game pieces)
5 transparent counters per player
1 die marked 1-6

Game Set Up:

Players sit facing the board with their 5 counters in hand. Each player chooses a different tree as their starting point on the board and places their game piece on it.
NB The students must decide if they go around the board clockwise or anticlockwise. (For no other reason but to provide a context to learn the terms 'clockwise' and 'anti-clockwise') hehehehe

How to Play:

1. The student with the longest middle name goes first.
2. Player One throws the die and moves their counter the corresponding number of spaces.
3. Player One answers the algorithm they land on aloud and places a counter on the difference in the middle of the board.
4. Player 2 then repeats steps 2 & 3.

The Bump Rule:

If the answer to an algorithm is already covered by an opponent's counter, the current player may BUMP the counter off the board and return it to their opposition's hand. The current player then places their counter on the answer.

The Locked In Rule:

If a player already has one of their counters on an answer then answers another algorithm which requires them to put their counter on that space, they can. The player places the second counter on top of their first to make a pile of two. This space is then 'locked in' and pieces cannot be bumped from the board or have any more counters added to them.

How to Win:

The first player to use up all their counters wins the game.

Also Included in this Download:

- A PowerPoint file with all the game boards for easy discussion
- Game Rules
- Teaching Notes
- Possible Math Journal Reflections

Enjoy!