Playing NMBR9 in Class

This game takes approximately 15 minutes for game play. It works perfect in a 40-minute class with set up, two game plays, wrap up and reflection.

• Number of games: Each game has enough tiles for 4 students. Make sure you get a game for yourself, so you can play with your friends and family too. It really helps to know the game. For a class of 28 students, you’ll need 8 games. You might want to consider having a spare game that can be signed out when a student is absent. This is a game they can play on their own, if they don’t have a sibling or parent who will play with them.
• We labelled and numbered the lid and box base of each game. Each group was responsible for their numbered game. We found these labels really helped with accountability for keeping the game complete.
• Print out of one page instruction sheet for each game and a score sheet and a reflection sheet for each student.
• Optional: We gave students ½” grid paper on 8.5 x 11 paper to help with their base.

Co-operative play

Sometimes students would prefer to play co-operatively rather than competitively. Below are a few suggestions to change to more cooperative play.

• Students could play in pairs to play as a team (two players for each set of tiles), 
• Students could play in pairs by combining the tiles (two players for each set of two tiles)
• Provide a challenge to see which team can get the highest score

Variations in game play

• Teacher draws the numbers so everyone is working on the same tiles. 

Focus

• Mathematical & Logical Reasoning: Testing and evaluating the possibilities for fitting tiles together.
• Spatial Reasoning: Fitting the tiles together by rotating pieces to find the tightest connections and/or to build up layers.
• Noticings: When students place a tile on an upper level, does the tile cover at least two lower tiles? Are the spaces (holes) under the placed tile? Does the tile overhang the lower level?

Here is a useful video for introducing the game:

We liked to start by playing a game against one student, with the rest of the class gathered around. We deliberately made a couple of mistakes to clarify rules. For example, place tiles that are touching kiddy corners, not with an entire edge. Or place a tile on top of just one tile. Or cover a hole on the lower level with a tile. Or make a tile stick over a lower tile with nothing underneath.

Divide students into their groups and have them play. You could call out the cards to the whole class. This way the whole class is playing the exact same game. We also liked having the students in pairs for this first game play. Then they can discuss their play and help each other. Pam’s class like playing on the floor. Heather’s class liked playing on the desks. Both worked. Expect lots of questions on the first day.

End of Game Play

Give each student Reflection sheet 1. Reflection sheet 1 enables assessment of students’ strategies and understanding of the game. It is useful to have the tiles available for completing the reflections sheets. We found that colouring helped us see what the students were thinking. We also liked when the students drew both layers as steps. Once the sheets are complete, assess them as a class. You could have them assess their own as you complete it on a whiteboard or screen. REMEMBER: The assessments are not to assign a mark, they are just to assess and further understandings of the games and strategies.

Reflections are an excellent pedagogic choice for assessment and metacognitive contemplations.  Pam and Heather created a google form for their students to answer reflection questions (a journal might be another idea). Here are the questions that our teachers, Pam and Heather, gave their students:

• What aspect of the game did you find the most enjoyable? 
  • It was really satisfying when two pieces fit perfectly together. – Mat
  • I liked NMBR 9 because the number designs were cool. – Lucas
  • It is kinda like Tetris – Michael
• What would you try differently next time?
  •  Maybe I could like literally go straight up – Finn
• What strategies did you use?
  • The strategy I used for number 9 was to put all the less scoring blocks near the bottom so I could score the most amount of points. This strategy surprisingly worked well and I was able to score a large amount of points – Anjuli
• What did you find the most challenging about this experience?
  • I found that placing the zeros very hard in this game. They are worth nothing and have a hole in the middle. I also found placing the piles adjacent to each other hard to do because sometimes when there is a perfect space for a piece, you can’t put it there because it is not adjacent and is very annoying. – Sophia
• What did you find the most challenging about this experience? 
  • I am very upset with the number 3 because it was way too hard to place and I swore revenge on the number. The game however wasn’t to bad, but the 5’s and 0’s were also really hard to place (My sympathy goes out to those who got 5 and 0). – Michael  
• How does the game use mathematical reasoning, spatial reasoning, or logical reasoning?
  • [By] imagining possibilities and how it helps the mind visualize the next move or where the piece should go to get the most amount of points. – Anjuli
  • You need to be logical and I like this game because of that. You need to think about where you place your tiles. – Jerry

Focus

• Mathematical & Logical Reasoning: Analyzing how pieces fit together to create a useful base (table) layer.
• Spatial Reasoning: Visualizing where an upcoming tile might go.
• Noticings: Are students placing tiles without any gaps? Are they covering holes when they place a tile on the next level? When they place a tile on the next level, is there an overhanging gap?

Suggestions for Game Play

Start to play a game against one student. Review the common mistakes listed in Week 1. Scoring the layers is a bit of an issue. Like in Europe where the ground floor is considered ‘0’, the first layer is the ‘0’ layer. Clarifying this can help with scoring.

Organize the students to play the game. Give each Group the same numbered game and a ‘how to play’ guide. Give each student a scoresheet and a pen or pencil.

Organize the students to clean up their games.

Give each student Reflection sheet 2. Reflection sheet 2 enables assessment of students’ strategies and understanding of the game.

Focus

• Mathematical & Logical Reasoning: Predicting which pieces are coming, and planning for placement (pathfinding).
• Spatial Reasoning: Constructing base layers for upcoming tiles.
• Noticings: Are students able to place tiles and larger on higher levels?

Suggestions for Game Play

For this week, you might want to begin by sharing strategies as a class. What strategies do your students attempt? Perhaps you might want to share some ideas borrowed from Eric:

• Paying attention to which cards have been played
• Saving space for 9
• Minimizing holes on the base layer
• Don’t put a 0 on an upper level.

End with Reflection Sheet 3

Keep playing this game as many times as your students enjoy this game. We have one more Reflection Sheet 4 to assess your students learning

Gratitude and credits to the students of Westmount Charter, Heather Lai, Pam Mah, Mischa Simpson, Munesah Rahman, & Dr. Janelle McFeetors at the University of Alberta for the creation of this resource.

This website draws on research supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.