Cover Up
How it works
Cover Up is a 2-player game. Here's how to play:
- You play with 2-color chips that are red on one side and blue on the other (note: you could also play with pennies)
- To start, some chips are red side up and some are blue side up
- One player is the hider and the other is the seeker
- The seeker closes their eyes
- After the seeker has closed their eyes, the hider moves the chips around however they want, then flips over 1 chip and then covers 1 chip with their hand
- The seeker opens their eyes and tries to figure out the color of the hidden chip
Could you guarantee that you win this game every time if you play as the seeker? What if the hider flips over 2 chips instead of 1? What if they flip over 3 chips? 4 chips? 5 chips?
In this activity, students work together to figure out how to beat a facilitator if the facilitator is the hider and the students are the seekers. If students are able to beat the facilitator, they try to figure out how to win at the game when the hider can flip over 2, 3, 4, or 5 chips.
Why we like this activity
It’s fun! Students enjoy playing the game and figuring out how to beat the facilitator.
It helps students to develop logical reasoning.
It helps students to develop numerical reasoning.
It requires students to engage in mathematical habits of mind:
Using logic and finding and using strategies to win as the seeker
Looking for patterns when trying to figure out how to win at different variations of the game
It has a low floor and a high ceiling: Students can start playing the game by trial and error, but figuring out how to guarantee you win every time is more challenging, especially as the variations get harder!
