How to Play Around the World (in Math)

Last Updated: June 24, 2024

Around the World is a math facts game where students challenge each other. If you haven't played before, or are having trouble understanding how to play, we're here to help! Read on to find out how to play and get some helpful tips for the next time you play.

1

Play as a student.

As a student, you will be challenged in this game to
- Answer math facts, either through flashcards or through questions relayed orally.
- Signal each time, through appropriate actions, that you know the answer. Although teachers won't like you screaming out the answers when you are competing against another player, most classrooms playing this game use a system of raised hands - like any other classroom question.
- Move from student-to-student. The winner of each "round" moves on - in succession - to the next student in the class.
  - If you weren't the loser to the fact question, you'd take the other students' seat.
- Learn when you win. The winner is determined when one student goes either around the room and back to their seat without missing a fact successfully, or when time is up.
  - Teachers may give you larger solutions to solve where flash cards wouldn't help. These questions would mostly require board space to show your work and solve but are more for the advanced solvers.
    - Teachers may give you problems similar to irrational numbers multiplied by another irrational number, or two multiple-digit numbers multiplied together. However, other trickier facts may be requested to be solved.
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2

Officiate as a teacher.

As a teacher, your job is to come up with the facts to solve and
- Ensure that you give and receive factual answers that will seem random, yet learned previously. How much information you thought your class knew they might forget will surprise you.
  - Try utilizing your math textbook, or flashcards, but utilize your students' learning levels when determining the flash card types to pick.
- Ensure the students have learned the topic - or know how to work to receive the answer.
  - Don't mix unrelated fact types from two or more decks for the same Around the World in Math event - unless there are some cards the company used to throw the children off.
- Ensure that standards are upheld; Hands get raised when the student knows the answer, or you can tell they are ready to solve - in the case of on-the-board boardwork.
- Ensure that all students have a fair chance to play. Most classes have islands of desks nudged together, but sometimes it's that one or two students that always seem to be missed that will need to be just as competitive.
  - Nudge students who might've forgotten how to solve the solution - if in the case of those harder problems - with how to solve the problem.
  - Perhaps that student might be having a bad day with remembering the procedure, you will be instructed to guide them through the solution.
- Let the class survey who answered first, if in a close-call situation. But try to ensure their survey answers don't seem biased and are fair towards all classmates.
- Realize that some students may cheat to find the answers faster than their competition. Some students may find ways to cheat if flashcards are raised too quickly or too far or both.
  - Avoid allowing the answer to be displayed on the same side of the card as the asked fact.
  - Don't place the answer on the back, if you plan on flipping the card upon receipt of the card's question from the pack. Some students may see the answer and interpret it accordingly.
  - Even if the answer is on the back, don't rewrite it or make the numbers for the answer bigger.
  - Avoid looking in front of the flashcard to acknowledge and read which fact it is, once you display it for both to see. Unless your students are having a hard time reading the problem or keep coming up with awkward answers that don't seem right, bending over to look at and read the problem yourself shouldn't be needed.
- Know that students may be tempted to still answer orally without raising their hand, and only sometimes shouting, but ensure you keep order.
  - Those who shout are often wrong anyway - just to see if they can beat their opposing classmate.
- Realize that speed and knowledge are key to winning. The faster they solve the cards, and the more random the questions are, the faster they can move back to their seat and win.

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Tips

Use this game only as a space-filler, or to gain knowledge into how much your students remember. Make it randomized and only use it intermittently.
- Avoid using it to test knowledge before tests and quizzes, and don't use this game for students to gain an upper hand in testing for bonus points. Doing this is like cheating and allowing certain students to gain an upper hand over their classmates.
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Some websites describing Around the World, describe substituting math facts with other common facts such as state capitals or similar. However, you will need to judge what subject is being verified and stick with that same subject line to avoid confusion.

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How to Play Around the World (in Math)

Steps

Play as a student.

Officiate as a teacher.

Expert Q&A

Tips

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