Decimal Total or Difference

The game "Decimal Total or Difference" is an engaging and educational activity designed to help players practise adding and subtracting decimal numbers. To participate, each player will require a decimal board, a dice with numbers from 0 to 9, and a set of counters. The objective of the game is to throw the dice to generate two decimal numbers and then decide whether to calculate the total or the difference between them. Players then place a counter on the decimal board to cover the answer. It's important to note that not all possible totals are represented on the board, encouraging players to opt for finding the difference more frequently. For example, if a player rolls 4.5 and 3.8, they could either add them to cover 8.3 on the board or subtract to cover 0.7.

To win the game, a player must strategically place three of their counters in a straight line, which can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. This adds a layer of tactical thinking to the game as players must not only perform quick decimal calculations but also consider their counter placements. The game also encourages making connections with whole number addition and subtraction, illustrating that the same principles apply to decimals. For instance, if 16 plus 45 equals 61, then 1.6 plus 4.5 equals 6.1. Players are also encouraged to discuss whether using a number line would be beneficial for counting on or back to find the total or difference. This activity, published by Buzzard Publishing in 2013, is a fun way to reinforce mathematical skills through gameplay.