Part-Whole Triangles
Math Concepts
Add numbers from 1 to 10, number bonds
Materials
deck of playing cards
Players
2
Set up
Use playing cards from 1 to 10. Each player is dealt 6 cards face up, and these cards are placed in a pyramid from top to bottom in the order they are dealt- 1 card in the top row, two cards in the second row, and three cards in the third row. There is a draw pile with one card turned over to start a discard pile.
Play
During a turn, a player chooses the top discard card or the unknown card at the top of the draw pile. The chosen card must replace a card they already have, and the replaced card is put in the discard pile.
Goal
The goal for each player is to create a 6-card pyramid where each card is the sum of the two cards below it. The example above is almost complete- the player just needs to fix the left-hand corner to be a 4 so that the 5 will be the sum of 4 + 1. The first player to achieve a completed pyramid wins.
Discussion and Tips
Discuss strategies for the best place to put a card you don’t want to use. Also, discuss strategies for what to do when you know that your opponent needs one of your cards- how do you avoid discarding it?
Discuss strategies for what to do with small or large cards early in the game.
Variations
Experiment with smaller or larger ranges of cards to accommodate the skills of younger or older players.
Use a difference pyramid instead, where each card is the difference of the two cards below it.
Use a ten-card pyramid for a longer game.