More Math Games & Activities from Around the World
This multicultural book is aimed at pupils aged 9+, parents, teachers and caregivers. The 70+ games and activities included in the book build on its predecessor, Math Games & Activities from Around the World.
The first two chapters of the book focus on games ‘Three-In-A-Row Games’ and ‘More Board Games’. These are well structured. Starting with simple or familiar versions of a game you are invited to identify strategies which you can then try to develop for more complex versions of the game or other games with similar structures. This means not only that a strategy can be learned but that there is value in learning it, not only to win at one game, but to apply the ideas in another. Each game is accompanied by a brief text which describes its origins and gives a cultural context. I found these two chapters particularly engaging.
The other chapters are activity based and cover a range of ideas from making your own abacus and creating your own calendars in Chapter 3 to ‘Symmetry’ and finally ‘Repeated Patterns’ in Chapter 8. Some of the activity chapters have less of a sense of coherence than others (such as the ‘Dot, String and Paper Strips’ chapter). Having said that the two sand-drawing activities in this chapter are inspiring and left me looking for more.
All the activity chapters again give cultural contexts from around the world. Although many of the activities and ideas were familiar, the cultural context and the juxtaposition of similar ideas gives the themes a sense of purpose. There was an occasional lapse into ‘American centric assumptions’ (perhaps I am being over critical here), with references to dollar bills and American flags we cannot see (a picture would have helped).
I would have loved some colour and some more inspiring illustrations, even with the inevitable increase in the book’s cost. I enjoyed this book very much, it is great to dip into for ideas and I intend to go out and acquire its predecessor!
Jennifer Piggott
NRICH Mathematics Project, University of Cambridge
More Math Games & Activities from Around the World
Claudia Zaslavsky
Chicago Review Press
ISBN 1-55651-501-X
