Tic Tac Total gives its players practice adding and subtracting. Players must consider multiple options for number placement to achieve the target number. This requires players to hold multiple addition problems in their head at once. This gives students an opportunity to practice their mental math skills. Since the target number is set at the beginning of the game, students must find multiple missing addends to achieve this number. This helps players strengthen their concept of number.
In order to win, each player must think about all the possible plays they have. They also must think about ways they can block their opponent. To block, a player must chose a second number in a row so that the third number in that row must be even (if they are playing even) or odd (if they are playing odd).
Recommended # of players: 2
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Standards Addressed
Kindergarten
Know number names and the count sequence.
- K.CC.1. Count to 100 by ones and by tens.
- K.CC.2. Count forward beginning from a given number within the known sequence (instead of having to begin at 1).
- K.CC.3. Write numbers from 0 to 20. Represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0-20 (with 0 representing a count of no objects).
Compare numbers
- K.CC.6. Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g.., by using matching and counting strategies.
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Understand addition as putting together and adding to, and understand subtraction as taking apart and taking from.
- K.OA.1. Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings, sounds (e.g.., claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, or equations.
- K.OA.5. Fluently add and subtract within 5.
Number and Operations in Base Ten
Work with numbers 11-19 to gain foundations for place value.
- K.NBT.1. Compose and decompose numbers from 11 to 19 into ten ones and some further ones, e.g.., by using objects or drawings, and record each composition or decomposition by a drawing or equation (such as 18 = 10 + 8); understand that these numbers are composed of ten ones and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine ones.
Classify objects and count the number of objects in each category.
- K.MD.3. Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count.
Identify and describe shapes (squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, hexagons, cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres).
- C.G.. Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to.
First Grade
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Add and subtract within 20.
- 1.OA.5. Relate counting to addition and subtraction (e.g.., by counting on 2 to add 2).
- 1.OA.6. Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10. Use strategies such as counting on; making ten (e.g.., 8 + 6 = 8 + 2 + 4 = 10 + 4 = 14); decomposing a number leading to a ten (e.g.., 13 - 4 = 13 - 3 - 1 = 10 - 1 = 9); using the relationship between addition and subtraction (e.g.., knowing that 8 + 4 = 12, one knows 12 - 8 = 4); and creating equivalent but easier or known sums (e.g.., adding 6 + 7 by creating the known equivalent 6 + 6 + 1 = 12 + 1 = 13)
Number and Operations in Base Ten
Extend the counting sequence.
- 1.NBT.1. Count to 120, starting at any number less than 120. In this range, read and write numerals and represent a number of objects with a written numeral.
Use place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract.
- 1.NBT.4. Add within 100, including adding a two-digit number and a one-digit number, and adding a two-digit number and a multiple of 10, using concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction; relate the strategy to a written method and explain the reasoning used. Understand that in adding two-digit numbers, one adds tens and tens, ones and ones; and sometimes it is necessary to compose a ten.
Second Grade
Add and subtract within 20.
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- 2.OA.2. Fluently add and subtract within 20 using mental strategies. By end of Grade 2, know from memory all sums of two one-digit numbers.