Equals: The Game of Strategy for the Basic Facts

Brain related research on how children store facts in long term memory has demonstrated the need for a low-stress environment, friends, and fun with games involving the basic facts. Equals was designed with these needs in mind. Equals is a game of strategy where players work in teams to make choices about the math facts they will use as they roll polyhedron dice and turn wooden cubes on dowel rods to clear the board.   All teams have an equal chance of winning and both teams can win! Players get to make choices about the facts they use. Each game lasts approximately 10 minutes, but the facts these children store in long term memory will stay with them as they build number sense and practice their addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division facts. Students from kindergarten to the middle grades can benefit from playing Equals. Math concepts and principles such as the commutative property of addition and multiplication, least common multiple, and greatest common factor are emphasized as children play Equals.

Play Addition

For 2 Players:

Select a side, either day or night. Set your right side cube to 4, these are your extra lives.

Both players begin with the numbers 1-9 (blue) on both sides of the addition sign (yellow) so they face up.

Player 1 rolls both of the 12-sided dice. Player 1 selects a number of each side of the addition sign so that the two numbers equal the combined total rolled on top. Player 2 makes sure that player 1 is correct.

Player 2 takes a turn. Continue taking turns. Player 1 makes sure that player 2 is correct. If you do not have a move, you can use an extra life fond on the right side numbered cube. This will allow you to stay in the game. The next player then takes a turn.

The object of the game is to clear all the numbers on both sides of the addition sign.

Play Subtraction

Select a side, either day or night. Set your right side cube to 4, these are your extra lives.

Both players begin with the numbers 18-10 (red) on both sides of the subtraction sign (yellow) so they face up. And numbers 1-9 (blue) on the other side face up.

Player 1 rolls both of the 12-sided dice. Player 1 selects a number on each side of the subtraction sign so that the difference is found on one of the 12-sided dice. Players may also use the difference or sum of the two numbers rolled as the difference. Turn the selected cubes so they are blank on top. Player 2 makes sure that player 1 is correct. Player 2 takes a turn. Player 1 makes sure that player 2 is correct. Continue taking turns. If you do not have a move, you can use an extra life found on the right side numbered cube. This will allow you to stay in the game. The next player takes a turn. The object of the game is to clear all the numbers on both sides of the subtraction sign.

Play Multiplication

Select a side, either day or night. Set your right side cube to 4, these are your extra lives.

Both players begin with the numbers 1-9 (blue) on both sides of the multiplication sign (yellow) so they face up.

Player 1 rolls all 3 of the 20 sided dice. Player 1 selects a number on each side of the multiplication sign so that the product of the two numbers equals one of the numbers rolled on the dice. Turn the selected cubes so they are blank on top. Player 2 makes sure that player 1 is correct. Player 2 takes a turn. Player 1 makes sure that player 2 is correct. Continue taking turns.   If you do not have a move, you can use an extra life found on the right side numbered cube. This will allow you to stay in the game. The next player takes a turn. The object of the game is to clear all the numbers on both sides of the multiplication sign.

Play Division

Select a side, either day or night. Set your right side cube to 4, these are your extra lives. Both players begin with the purple numbers on one side of the division sign (yellow) and numbers 1-9 (blue) on the other side so they face up. The purple numbers will be used as the dividends. The blue numbers will be used as divisors. The quotient will be rolled on the dice. Player 1 rolls both of the 12-sided dice. Player 1 selects a number on each side of the division sign so that the quotient is found on one of the 12-sided dice. Players may also use the sum or difference of the two numbers rolled on the 12-sided dice as the quotient. Turn the selected cubes so they are blank on top. Player 2 makes sure that player 1 is correct. Player 2 takes a turn. Player 1 makes sure player 2 is correct. Continue taking turns. If you do not have a move, you can use an extra life found on the right side numbered cube. This will allow you to stay in the game. The next player then takes a turn. The object of the game is to clear all the numbers on both sides of the division sign.