Description
How it works
Deal six cards each from a deck limited to 0–5 and 10. Players draw and discard over three rounds, working towards six cards they can pair into three products with the smallest possible total. Ending with 0, 1, 3, 4, 5 and 10 lets you pair 0×10, 5×1 and 3×4 for a score of 17. Lowest total wins. Children work out very quickly that a zero wipes out whatever it is paired with, which is a more durable lesson about multiplying by zero than any explanation.
What you’ll need
- A deck of cards numbered 0–5 and 10 (ace = 1, queen = 0, other face cards and 6–9 removed)
Skills practiced
Multiplication facts with small factors, the effect of multiplying by 0 and 1, and comparing products to minimise a total.
Grade level
3rd through 5th grade. Play with the full 0–10 deck for a harder game.
Instant PDF download. Game instructions adapted from the ideas in Math Fact Fluency by Jennifer Bay-Williams and Gina Kling (ASCD / NCTM, 2019).
