DecimAliens Game
This game establishes links between decimal numbers, common fractions and place value. It also provides practice in reunitising (e.g. converting between tenths and hundredths).
DecimAliens can be played by individuals, pairs of students, or as a class with teacher-led discussion.
The aim of the game is to wipe out the alien spaceships in the least number of hits. The student has to choose digits corresponding to the correct place value column. For example, to shoot down the digit 7 in 1.27, the student needs to choose correctly from a multiple choice list such as:
- 0.007, 0.07, 0.7, 7 OR
- 7/1000, 7/100, 7/10, 7 OR
- 7 thousandths, 7 hundredths, 7 tenths, 7 ones
The game can be played at several levels, involving only decimals or fractions or both together, requiring reunitising (e.g. converting 7 tenths to 70 hundredths), and at the highest level playing with several digits at once.
When students make errors, the next questions have help provided. This provides a "converter" which helps change 7 tenths into 70 hundredths etc.