Do you KENKEN?

Anyone who has ever met Jean Ann or me, know that we love games. We think that teaching or reinforcing a skill or concept with a game or activity is far more effective that a worksheet or other "traditional" method.  Add to that the fact that with most games or activities also bring up great social skill teaching moments and we as educators can't loose. Not all games and activities have to be loud, done in groups, or take a lot of prep time from the teacher.  KENKEN is one of those awesome, quiet, easy to implement activities.  

Remember when sudoku was all the rage? We were all on board making copies for our students to try in class, even buying the sudoku rubics cube?  Sudoku is a great logic activity.  But, that's it. Some find it fun and entertaining, but I personally want more.  This is where KENKEN is magic! It takes the same concept of sudoku: if you had a 6x6 grid you would need to fill every row and column with the numbers 1 - 6 with no one number repeating itself in a row or column. Then, it adds the twist.  Within marked sections of boxes there will be a number with an opperation symbol. All the numbers placed within this section must equal the number using the opperation given.  Cool huh?

Here are the official rules:

Fill the grid with digits so as not to repeat a digit in any row or column, and so the digets within each heavily outlined box or boxes (called a cage) will produce the target number shown in that cage by using the operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) shown by the symbol after the numeral.

For single box cages, simply enter the number that is shown in the corner. 

So, for example, the notation 6+ means that the numerals in the cage should add up to 6, and the notation 48X means that by multiplying the numbers in the cage you will get 48. A 4x4 grid will use the digits 1-4. A 5x5 grid will use 1/5. A 6x6 grid will use the 1-6, and so on.


So for example, here we have a three by three grid.

So we know we are using numbers 1-3 in all the rows and columns. If we look at the first section in the upper left corner, I need two numbers that when added together equal 5 (2 & 3). Looking below that I see a 2 in a single section so I know that has to be a 2. So the first row would be 3, 2, 1 and the start of the second row would be a 2.  The final solution would look like this. 

We still have the logic of sudoku, but now with a basic math fact reinforcement.

The grids will get larger and the operations more involved. 

                            

How do you get KENKEN? Luckily there is a website that will send you a bunch of problems and solutions each week....FOR FREE!!!!!!

http://www.kenken.com/misc/classroom

All you have to do is sign up!