I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for ways I can tie academics and classroom management together. Classroom Management Make a Deal does just that! It is a great classroom management strategy that targets specific expectations and hits on money and math skills.
How To Play
- Prep all materials and gameboard (more on that here!)
- Start with the closed cases on the game board. The point of the game is that students can't see what's under each case until it is selected and revealed. This keeps your students on their toes!
- Choose a case to open when your students show the expectation you are working on. You do not have to open the cases in order!
- Once you uncover the money amount under the case number, fill up the money meter to that amount and then write the total in the “Money in the Bank” card (As you open more cases, you work on addition and total money.)
- Once they earn the amount on the prize case, your students can open your prize case and reveal the prize.
Here's a fun twist: you can have two different cases, a lower and higher amount, and when you have reached the prize, your students could choose to continue playing for the higher case amount.
Practicing Important Math Skills
I don't know what it is about the “$” sign, but when some students see it in front of a number, all of their knowledge of addition or subtraction goes out the window!
Make a Deal is a fun way to practice math skills with the dollar sign in a different context! There are a few different ways to get this practice in while using this classroom management strategy.
Let's use this photo as an example!
Adding Money
Reveal #1: $5
Reveal #2: $12
Each time a case is revealed that is an opportunity to practice adding money.
Get the whole class involved by having them work out the problem on their personal whiteboards or even using dry erase markers on their desks!
Model lining up the ones and tens place. Keep the dollar sign in the equation as well. It's all about practice and exposure! Solve the problem together, and have students share their strategies with a partner.
Write the total amount of money in the money bank.
If the total from reveals 1 and 2 is $17, then you'll use that number as your starting point the next time. Then, go through the same process, adding the money bank total ($17) and the newly revealed case (reveal #3: $7).
The total of all open cases should be the number in your money bank. In the example picture, it is $24.
Reminder: Reveals will happen at different times of day and on different days. A case is opened when students are showing the expectation.
Money Meter
The money meter is another way to practice a tricky math skill. Students often have difficulty filling in a number line without all numbers present!
Discuss how each line represents “5.” So with reveal #1, you would practice filling in the meter up to 5. With reveal #2, you would practice adding 12 to 5 totaling 17. Next, discuss filling in the meter between the “15” and the “$20” mark. This is tricky for students because there is no set line for 17!
Some additional discussion points you might have is why you wouldn't just fill up to “12” for reveal #2 and how we estimate where numbers go on the meter without a set line for every number.
Subtraction Practice
To bring your practice a step further, subtract your money bank total from your goal. For example, in the photo, the goal is to reach $100. After three reveals, the money bank totals $24. Subtract $24 from $100 to see how much more money must be revealed before earning their prize!
This will add excitement when students see they only need $76 more to reach their goal!
Classroom Management Make a Deal
Are you looking for a fun way to change up your classroom management? Something that will help target multiple classroom expectations but still be engaging and create buy in?! Classroom MAKE A DEAL is an interactive way to help your students work together to show completed work, on task behavior, transitions, and MORE.
My explanations might be a little long-winded, but all of this should only take about 5-10 minutes max! Make a Deal makes it so easy to incorporate a classroom management strategy your students will love while getting exposure to important math skills!
Make a Deal Classroom Management Strategy Freebie
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More Classroom Management Strategies
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