How Long? How Many? (Grades 3–5) Dice Game

How Long? How Many? (Grades 3–5)
Math skills: This two-person game involves probability and strategy, and gives children experience with multiplication in a geometric context.
The object: to make rectangular arrays with Cuisenaire Rods and place them on 10-by-10-centimeter grids until no more space is available. The game encourages students to think strategically as they consider where to place their rectangles to avoid being blocked.
How to play: students need Cuisenaire Rods, one die, and a grid sheet for each (Make a 10cm x 10cm grid. Also leave space for students to record how many of their squares are covered and uncovered.) The rules are:
1. On his or her turn, a player rolls the die twice to determine which Cuisenaire Rods to take. The first roll tells "how long" a rod to use. The second roll tells "how many" rods to take.
2. Players arrange their rods into a rectangle, place it on their grid, and trace it. They write the multiplication sentence inside.
3. The game is over when one player can't place a rectangle because there's no room on the grid. Then players figure out how many of their squares are covered and how many are uncovered and check each other's answers.
After students have had experience playing the game, talk with them about strategies for placing rectangles and figuring out their final scores.
Adapted from Instructor, April 1994.