Teaching integers can be really fun! Using manipulatives and games is easy with this concept. Try out this free game to help your students practice using algebra tiles to model integer meanings.
This game should be used after students have already had some practice creating positive and negative values. Teach your students to make “zero pairs” by pairing up a positive and negative tile. This method has been proven more effective than “cancelling out” when opposites are paired.
Discuss that a negative sign means the same thing as the word “opposite” in an expression. For example -(-7) means the opposite of -7. Every time you say the word opposite, you should flip your tiles.
In this game, students choose a card and look for any square on the game board that matches the description. There will likely be more than one square with an equivalent value. They strategically choose a square and mark it with a playing piece. Their goal is to be the first person to get three of their pieces in a row, vertically, diagonally, or horizontally, much like tic-tac-toe. They also need to try to block their opponent.
My students had a great time with this game. Games and centers definitly aren’t just for elementary school anymore!
To download this game from my Teachers Pay Teachers store for FREE just click here! If you don’t have a TpT account, they are free and easy to sign up for.
