Count to 99 by 3

Description
Group Activity | 20 minutes

This group counting activity challenges students to work together as a group to achieve the goal of counting together to 99 by 3s. The activity is best done with at least seven students, arranged in a circle if possible. Click here to download this page as a PDF. This activity can:

Guide students to their own solutions by asking questions instead of directing them.
Reinforce the values of Sharing Power through a process of trial and error before students achieve their goal.
Offer a low stakes way for students to make mistakes and practice a Growth Mindset.

Instructions

1. Prepare to count.

If students say the wrong number, say the same number, or speak over each other, they have to start over. For example, the count starts over if there is a numerical mistake (e.g., 42 after 39 is correct, 43 after 39 is incorrect). Make sure to withhold practices and short cuts that would help students achieve the goal right away (i.e. raising their hands before speaking, always speaking counterclockwise in order). This is important so that students discover as they go the rules of the game and resources within themselves to achieve the goal.

2. Start counting!

Ask students to count to 99 by 3s, each person taking a turn. Make sure to interrupt them and tell them to start over if they break an unspoken rule.

3. Ask guiding questions as you go.

At some point, you'll want to start asking guided questions to help students uncover both the unspoken rules and the practices that can help them achieve their goals. Remember: help students make sense of their thinking process rather than pointing out the correct answer right away. Guiding questions include:

What is challenging about this activity?
How do you think you and the group are doing?
What’s going well and what's not so well?
What can we do differently in the next attempt?

4. After reaching the goal, discuss the activity as a group.

Once they've reached 99, have students reflect on the whole process of getting to the goal. Use debrief questions to guide students in making sense of and reflecting upon the activity. Debrief questions include:

During the first few tries, did you feel like it would be possible for the group to succeed?
Think about the feelings and emotions you had when the group failed, do you feel something similar when you do math problems?
Were there points where you felt frustrated or wanted to give up? What did you do to overcome that?
Are there times where you felt frustrated or just want to give up on math? What do you usually do to overcome that?
What strategies did the group try? Were some more helpful than others? Why do you think that’s the case?
Think about how we worked as a group for this challenge, what worked well about working as a group? What can we do as a group to support each other?

5. Conclude with a conversation on Sharing Power.

Finally, ask students how their learning context can empower their strengths and support them as they face challenges. This portion of the activity reinforces that you've heard their responses and that you want to actively support their learning. Discussion questions include:

What has been helpful when you have a problem about math?
Who do you talk to when you need help?
When you feel really stressed out or overwhelmed about math, what helps calm you down?
What can a tutor do to help you feel supported?

Tips and Tricks

Online Adaptation. This activity can be easily adapted to video conferencing, as long as you encourage students to account for any lag time in the video itself.

One-on-one Adaption. This activity is designed for a group setting. However, you can use the questions and prompts in step 5 to facilitate a conversation with your student.

Page updated

Report abuse