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Weekly Tribes – Finger Toss Math Equations

Finger Toss Math Equations

Students, in a group of four or five, count to three, and then ‘toss’ a finger count on one hand…much like rock-paper-scissors, but the finger toss is amount; two fingers = 2.  To ‘toss’ a zero, the tosser keeps a fist.  If everyone throws the same number, or if the only amounts tossed are ones and zeros, then the group should toss again.

The answer is 10 (or any number will work).  Students must use the amounts ‘tossed’ to make an equation that equals 10.

Example:  in a group of 4, the numbers tossed are 1-5-3-4.  The equation could be (3 x 5) – (4+1) = 10

To make this more challenging, allow a ‘2’ to either be the value ‘2’ or to mean ‘cubed’ or ‘squared’.  Another challenge would be to allow students to ‘toss’ a sign meaning ‘square root’.

The possibilities are endless.

Be sure to reflect on the learning process as well as the collaboration involved.

Thanks again, Ms. Haven for your creative thinking!

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