Recently, GT teacher Julia Dweck (@GiftedTawk) posted on Twitter about her class competing in the math game 24 with a group of college students. One video she shared of her students competing in a Variables round was amazing! I confess: I was not aware of the many different versions of the game!
I was inspired to create a landing page dedicated to this game alone, with links to specific resources for those interested in learning more about the deep practice the 24 Game affords. I also share some thoughts about where to start if you’re considering creating a club or organizing a tournament.
THE GAME
This video tutorial explains how to play the original game, and I’d show it to students just to be sure they understand the levels of difficulty in the basic game.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
These are activities that incorporate or were inspired by the game.
CREATE A 24 MATH CLUB
If you’re looking for a new type of enrichment for advanced and gifted math students, you might consider beginning with a club and organizing in-house competitions. I’d start with the basic game and show the tutorial above. Students can learn strategies and engage in different kinds of practice activities.
As the year progresses, you could introduce other editions of the game (click on each one to see sample cards with explanations). You could also use the 24 Solver to create your own problems, even making cards for the double-digit version of the game. And, of course, you could move toward having a contest at the end of the year within the club or with students at other schools.
ORGANIZE A TOURNAMENT
If you’re unfamiliar with how the competition works, the official rules and guidelines are below. This video also gives a quick overview of the basic 24 Challenge® tournament rules.
24 Challenge® ~ Organize Your Own Tournament
Some schools and districts organize less formal contests and deviate a bit from the official rules. I think I would teach students the official tournament guidelines and let them practice that way, even if the competition is on a smaller scale, such as within a math club or class. You never know which students might have the opportunity and be interested in competing later on.
Contests and tournaments are set up in many different ways, with or without audiences (see videos below).
If you have experience organizing a 24 Math Club or tournament, we’d love to hear from you. Comment below or in our Facebook group.
This page has been added to Contests and Competitions as well.
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