Times Tables Whiteboard Game for Years 3 and 4: Rocket Race
This times tables game for Year 3 and Year 4 is Rocket Race, an interactive whiteboard game by Teach This aligned to the Australian Curriculum. Students recall multiplication facts for 3, 4, 5 and 10 and build towards facts up to 10 × 10, such as 6 × 7 and 8 × 8. One student plays at a time and taps the star with the right answer, with up to 12 questions in a game. Each correct answer lights one of ten lights, and the rocket blasts off when all ten are lit. The player has three lives, and a wrong answer shows the correct fact.
It opens in Microsoft PowerPoint on any interactive whiteboard, panel or projector, with no macros, no student logins and no student data collected. Each turn takes three to five minutes, so it suits a maths warm-up with a new player each morning. The notes give a strategy for every fact, so a relief teacher can run it cold.
Learning goals
- We are learning to recall multiplication facts for 3, 4, 5 and 10 and apply this to related division facts.
- We are learning to recall multiplication facts up to 10 x 10 and related division facts, developing efficient mental strategies.
- We are learning to recall multiplication facts of two, three, five and ten and related division facts.
- We are learning to recall multiplication facts up to 10 × 10 and related division facts.
Curriculum alignment
Australian Curriculum covers QLD / SA / WA / NT / TAS / ACT.
Differentiation
Modifications
Give the player a multiplication grid or skip counting strip to use while they play. Let a student play with a partner so they can talk through each question before tapping a star.
Extensions
Ask the player to explain the strategy they used before tapping, such as doubling 4 to work out 8 × 4. Challenge the class to write the matching division fact for every question the player answers correctly.