Hunch - Having Fun With Integers!

Hunch originated as a game that wasn’t going to be too “mathy”, yet this game is chock-full of math! Hunch is also a spin-off of Find the Difference, another game that can be played with the Absolute Zero deck of cards.

Find the Difference and Hunch came about when I realized the difficulty many students had with problems that involved finding the distance between (or difference of) numbers on opposite sides of zero.

For example:

“The day started out at 32 degrees but a winter storm moved in dropping the temperature to a frigid -4.  How many degrees did the temperature drop?”

Way too many kids see this as 32-4 and give the answer of 28! 

The idea of distance on a number line is also needed for the concepts of absolute value and subtraction.

Hunch allows players to practice this skill of finding the distance between two numbers with the support of a vertical number line and numbers that are easy to manage. A vertical number line is printed on each card, with the value of the card indicated on the number line.  

The game begins with players guessing or having a Hunch of what the value of the next card drawn will be.  The deck includes cards from -5 to +5.

After a hunch is declared, the card is revealed.  The difference between the hunch and the actual value is determined. Players can use the number line on the card to count the difference. The absolute value of the difference is the player’s score for that round.

Watch this video for more details on how to play Hunch.

The fun Steampunk theme of the Hunch card deck appeals to students of all ages. Older players can enjoy the challenge that comes from practicing mental math and the randomness that comes from guessing your hunch and drawing the actual card. Younger players can utilize the extra support of including number lines and gain early exposure to the relationship between positive and negative numbers.

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