Disney II Magnet School

Math Games/Math Team Colloquium

Syllabus 2014-2015
Mr. Mijajlovic smijajlovic@cps.edu
www.smijaj.weebly.com


Math Games/Math Team Colloquium: This will be a place where we can learn and play math games together. You will
be able to play small group games such as "Salute" and "Hit the Target," individual math puzzles such as Sudoku and
Ken-Ken, and whole class games like "24" and "What's my rule?" You will also have the option to compete in the CJML
(Chicago Junior Mathematics League) or CCML (City of Chicago Mathematics League).
Required Materials: A positive attitude and willingness to try new things.
Classroom Expectations, Procedures, and Policies
You are expected to follow all Disney II Rules and Policies. The following policies will be consistently enforced to ensure
that every student receives the instructional time and atmosphere that he/she deserves.
1. BE PRESENT Mentally and physically. Be in your seat ready to work before the bell rings.
2. BE RESPECTFUL Value each others opinions, personal space, and right to learn.
3. BE PREPARED Bring ALL required materials to class every day.
4. BE INVOLVED Actively participate in classroom activities (note taking, exercises,
discussion etc.).
5. BE AWARE Cell phones, i-Pods, and other inappropriate electronic equipment will NOT be
tolerated. Use is limited to explicit consent from your teacher. Wear your ID at all times.
No eating in the classroom. Clear and re-sealable bottles only.

Grading Policy: Colloquium is a pass fail class. The expectation is that you will all pass colloquium. However, this is
something that you will have to earn by following the expectations, and staying involved in class. Colloquium is not a
blow off period. We will be learning a lot about mathematics and strategy while having fun.

Attendance/ Tardiness: We will utilize every minute of our class periods; therefore, it is imperative that all students
arrive to class on time and ready to participate and have fun.
Leaving the Classroom: Students may only leave the classroom with permission from the teacher. All students who
leave the class will be required to have a pass. If you do leave, you will be expected to leave your cellphone in the room.
We will not be playing mathematics games in the hallway please do not ask to go outside.
Music Policy: You may NOT use your headphones in class do not bother asking. It is rude to have headphones on
(even in only 1 ear) when you are interacting with others. I will play music from the speakers. Do not ask to pick the
music; I may on occasion ask for suggestions. If you really want your music to be played create a playlist and email me.
I will not play it if there are songs with curse words in it, or I dont like it.
End of Colloquium Procedures: Colloquium is not over until the bell rings. Prior to students leaving they must return the
room to the state that it was in prior to entering. This includes putting the white boards, calculators, markers, and other
material away, pushing chairs in, and wiping down tables. Nobody will be dismissed until this is complete. I will allow
time for this every day.




Disney II Magnet School
Math Games/Math Team Colloquium
Syllabus 2014-2015
Mr. Mijajlovic smijajlovic@cps.edu
www.smijaj.weebly.com


Salute 3 people and a deck of cards (J=11, Q=12, K=13, A=1; Red cards are negative & Black cards are positive)
Goal: Figure out the value of the card on your forehead.
Three players total, one being the General and the other two are at war. Deal the deck evenly between the two players at war. The
General says salute. The other two players take the card from the top of their deck and WITHOUT looking at it, place it on their forehead.
The General says, the sum of your numbers is or the product of your numbers is... The first person to say their own card and have it
confirmed by the General wins the round and keeps the two cards. Repeat until all the cards are used. Winner earns the most cards.

Lightning War 3 people and a deck of cards (J= , Q= , K= , A=Wild; Red cards are negative & Black cards are positive)
Goal: Figure out the value of the two flipped card using the given operation.
Three players total, one being the General and the other two are at war. The General takes all the face cards and aces, then deals the
deck evenly between the two players at war. The players at war flip their cards, then the General flips the card indicating the operation.
The first person with the answer and have it confirmed by the General wins the round and keeps the three cards. Repeat until all the
cards are used. Winner earns the most cards.

Target 2-4 people and a deck of cards (J=11, Q=12, K=13, A=1)
Goal: Manipulate numbers using operations to get your target answer
Five cards are drawn and shown, then the sixth card is drawn and shown. The sixth card is the target number. Use any operation
(addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and exponents) to come up with the target solution. First one to do so keeps the six cards.
Repeat until all the cards are used.

Ken-Ken http://www.kenken.com/
Goal: Number manipulation and strategy to fill the grid.
Its a grid-based numerical puzzle that uses the basic math operationsaddition, subtraction, multiplication, and divisionwhile also
challenging your logic and problem-solving skills. By altering the size of a KENKEN grid, from 3 x 3 up to 9 x 9, and employing different
combinations of the math operations, five different difficulty levels can be generated, and a seemingly endless number of puzzles.

Sudoku http://www.sudoku.com/
Goal: Fill in the missing numbers in the grid.
Sudoku is one of the most popular puzzle games of all time. The goal of Sudoku is to fill a 9x9 grid with numbers so that each row, column
and 3x3 section contain all of the digits between 1 and 9. As a logic puzzle, Sudoku is also an excellent brain game.

24 The ultimate number game involving 2 or more people and 4 dice or a deck of cards (J=11, Q=12, K=13, A=1)
Goal: Make 24 using basic math operations.
Make 24 with the four numbers rolled on the dice or the four cards shown. Use any operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication,
division, and exponents) to come up with the target solution. First one to do so gets a point.

Whats my rule? Guess number rules using patterns with 3 or more people.
Goal: Using the output from a specific input, identify a pattern in order to create a mathematical rule.
Students determine what rule is being used in the mathematics equation based on the output given after given the function machine an
input. Everyone should give an input before allowing time for guesses about the rule this allows time for players to develop a rule in
their mind and test the accuracy of the rule.

Diamonds Puzzles where you try to figure out the missing piece to the diamond.
Goal: Develop an understanding of patterns, one-step equation solving, and factoring.
One way to introduce this skill to students is to have three forms of diamond problems on the page and make them increasingly. difficult.
The first form is simply having bot factors present, in which case its addition and multiplication. The second removes one factor, but
provides either the sum or the product. Finally, the problems only provide the sums and products, and the student is forced to derive
both factors by finding the right pair which make up both.

Two Dice Pig A game of chance and expectation involving 2 to 4 people.
Goal: Simple and advanced ideas of probability using dice.
Each player uses two dice and the players take their turns. Each turn, a player repeatedly rolls two dice until either a 1 is rolled or the
player decides to "hold." If the player rolls any number other than a 1, it is added to their turn total and the player's turn continues. If a
player chooses to "hold", their turn total is added to their score, and it becomes the next player's turn. If a single 1 is rolled, the player
scores nothing and the turn ends. If two 1s are rolled, the players entire score is lost, and the turn ends. If a double is rolled, the point
total is added to the turn total as with any roll but the player is obligated to roll again. The game ends after the first player reaches or
exceeds a fixed number of points, such as 100.