Go fish (relationships)

A thinking mathematically context for practise resource focused on building number relationship knowledge of 1 or 2 before or after a number.

Syllabus

Syllabus outcomes and content descriptors from Mathematics K–10 Syllabus (2022) © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2024.

Outcomes

  • MAO-WM-01
  • MAE-RWN-01
  • MAE-RWN-02
  • MAE-CSQ-01
  • MAE-CSQ-02
  • MAO-WM-01
  • MA1-CSQ-01

Collect resources

You will need a set of playing cards (Ace–10).

Go fish (relationships)

Watch the Go fish (relationships) video (7:34).

Go fish variation for fluency of 1 or 2 more/less

(Duration: 7 minutes 34 seconds)

Michelle

Hi Barbara.

Barbara

Hey Michelle.

Michelle

How are you today?

Barbara

I'm very well.

Michelle

We're ready to play a game, 'Go fish.'

Barbara

Great, I'll shuffle.

[Barbara has a deck of playing cards with all the picture cards removed. She shuffles the pack.]

Michelle

Well, that's good. 'Cause you gotta shuffle the cards first.

Barbara

That's some mad shuffling skills!

So, we need to get 7, is that right?

Michelle

Yes, seven cards each.

Barbara

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

[Barbara deals out 7 cards to each player and the remainder of the pack is placed down. Each player holds the cards they were dealt.]

Michelle

And then that's our fishing pile here in the middle.

Barbara

And we're trying to make pairs of the same card, is that right?

Michelle

Yes, you can play like that, but today we're looking for one or 2 away.

Barbara

Oh ok.

Michelle

So, I'll show you.

I'll show you what I mean.

Oh, I won't show you all my cards 'cause I've lost to you lots of times before, but for example, I could make 7 and 5 a combination.

Barbara

Because it's 2 away, right.

Michelle

Because there's a difference of 2 between them, like either 5, I need 2 more to get to 7.

Or from 7, I need 2 less to get to 5.

[Michelle places the 5 and 7 playing cards down on the table. She circles the 2 cards with her finger before picking them back up.]

Barbara

Yes, ok.

Michelle

Or I could also have made a pair with 4 and 5.

[She places the 4 and 5 playing cards down on the table and then picks them up again]

Barbara

Because it's one away.

Michelle

A difference of one.

Barbara

But ones that are the same number, they can't be a pair.

Michelle

No.

Barbara

So, it's different to regular Go fish in that way.

Michelle

Yep.

Barbara

Ok.

Michelle

So…

Barbara

I think I've got some pairs here.

Michelle

So, we can put them down to start.

I'll put it like that so that mathematicians watching can view, can see. Ok.

[From the cards Michelle and Barbara were dealt, they place pairs of playing cards on the table. Michelle places down the 6 and 7, and 5 and 4 playing cards into pairs. Barbara places down the 9 and 7, 6 and 7, and 3 and 4 playing cards into pairs.]

Barbara

Ok, so now I've only got one card left.

What's the next thing? We need to have cards in our hand all the time, don't we?

Michelle

Well, just after you deal, if you've only got one card left, pick up another 2 so we can get started.

Barbara

Ok.

[Barbara picks up 2 cards from the top of the deck.]

Michelle

But you can't put them down.

Barbara

Ok.

Michelle

Alright, and since you are the most amazing shuffler on Earth, you can ask first.

Barbara

Ok.

Michelle

So, you're asking me for a quantity that's one more or 2 more, or one less or 2 less than a card that you have.

Barbara

Ok, that's great, but if I have got pairs now, I can't use them yet.

Michelle

Not yet.

Barbara

Not yet.

Michelle

You just picked up from a deal.

Barbara

Ok, do you have a 2?

Michelle

Go fish.

[Barbara picks up a card from the top of the deck.]

And so now, Barbara, I'm thinking why did you ask me about a 2?

Because you might have had a 4?

Or you might have had a 3? Or you might have had an ace.

So now…

Barbara

Oh, you know what I've got, ok.

Michelle

So now, I'm actually going to ask you, do you have a 3?

Barbara

I do have a 3.

[Barbara gives Michelle her number 3 playing card 3.]

Michelle

And the reason I asked that is 'cause I had an ace.

[Michelle pairs the number 3 playing card she just received from Barbara, to an ace she had in her hand and places the pair down on the table.]

Barbara

Do you know what, I was gonna make my pair and I didn't do it quickly enough and now I've missed my opportunity.

Michelle

You did. Watch out. [Michelle and Barbara both laugh.]

Barbara

Oh wow, now I think I need a 3 but you've just used yours, but I'm still gonna ask it.

Do you have a 3?

Michelle

Go fish.

I feel like, it's very satisfying.

[Barbara selects a card from the top of the deck.]

Barbara

It is, but now I can make a pair.

[Barbara now makes a pair from her hand of cards using an ace and a 2.]

Michelle

Rats.

Barbara

Do you have a 6?

Barbara

Go fish.

Michelle

Oh, I should.

Do you know what? Can I talk to the mathematicians at home?

Barbara

You can.

[Michelle now displays the 7 and 10 playing cards in her hand.]

Michelle

I want to tell them I made a bad decision.

Because when I look at these cards, if I had of asked for, [Michelle tells Barbara] don't listen, [Michelle continues speaking to the mathematicians] an 8 or a 9, then I would have been able to maybe get a 7. The 7 could match or the 10 could match.

I made a bad choice.

Ok, you can listen again now.

Did you tell me to go fish?

[Michelle now picks up a card from the deck and draws a 6.]

Barbara

I did, yes.

Michelle

But I got lucky.

[Michelle places down a 6 and 7 playing card and shows she only has a 10 left in her hand.]

Barbara

I like this game because, you know, there's a bit of luck.

You need to be skilful, but there's also luck in there.

Michelle

Yes, so that's what makes a good game.

Barbara

Ok, my turn, oh.

Oh, do you have a 3?

Michelle

Go fish.

[Barbara selects a card from the top of the deck.]

Do you have, oh now, we're not. Ten is the biggest card, so there's no jacks.

Barbara

Oh, we've taken the picture cards out.

Michelle

So do you have a... 9?

Barbara

Go fish.

[Michelle selects a card from the top of the deck.]

Michelle

Oh rats.

Barbara

Do you have a... 4?

Michelle

Yes.

[Michelle gives Barbara a 4 from the cards in her hand.]

Barbara

Thank you very much.

[Barbara now places down the 4 and 5 playing cards from her hand.]

Michelle

Do you have an 8?

Barbara

Go fish.

[Michelle selects a card for the top of the deck.]

You know what's great is we can't cheat because the mathematicians are watching us, watching our cards.

Michelle

Rats.

Barbara

I'm a bit of a cheater sometimes.

Michelle

You know strategic decision making.

Ha-ha.

Barbara

Do you have … I've already asked about 3 so I might ask for a 2?

Michelle

Yes, I just picked it up.

[Michelle gives Barbara the number 2 playing card from her hand.]

Barbara

Yes.

[Barbara places the ace and 2 playing cards down.]

Michelle

Um, do you have an 8?

Barbara

Go fish.

[Michelle picks up a card from the top of the deck.]

Do you have a 3?

Michelle

Go fish.

[Barbara picks up a card from the top of the deck.]

Do you have a...4?

Barbara

Go fish.

[Michelle picks up a card from the top of the deck.]

Michelle

But I’ve got a pair.

[Michelle places the 6 and 5 playing cards down.]

Barbara

Oh.

Do you have ... you didn't have any twos, so I might go the other way.

Do you have a 10?

Michelle

Yes.

[Michelle gives Barbara the 10 playing card.]

Barbara

Ha-ha.

Oh, I didn't win though. I've still got one card to go.

Michelle

Well.

Barbara

You've won though.

Michelle

Well, yes, I suppose.

Well, here's how you can decide who wins.

Either by who runs out of their cards first.

Barbara

Ok.

Michelle

So, in that case, I win.

But you could also win based on the number of pairs that you've collected.

So, 5 and 6 is a pair for me because it's a difference of one.

Seven and 6 is a pair because 7 is one more than 6.

Seven and 6 is another pair, because 6 is one less than 7.

Four and a 5 is a pair because there's one more than the other card, like 5 is one more than 4, and ace and 3 are a pair because ace is 2 less than 3, so I got 5 pairs, but you got... 6, 7 pairs.

[Michelle picks up her cards, pointing out the different pairs, and then points to Barbara’s 7 sets of pairs.]

Barbara

So, we both won?

Michelle

Technically we both won because I lost my cards first and you've got 7 pairs, so we will leave it to the mathematicians to decide who won.

But it's a good game, yeah?

Barbara

I really like this game and you know what else we could do?

We could play this game, but we could play it as Snap.

Michelle

Oh yeah, so you're looking for speedy eyeballs when checking quantities.

Barbara

Yeah, the same way, plus or minus or minus one or 2.

You could also do it as Concentration.

[Michelle and Barbara start to flip the cards so that they are facing down.]

Barbara

Oh yes.

You know, I call that game Memory.

Michelle

Oh yeah, you could call it Memory too.

And you know what else, Barbara, is that we could change what we're looking for.

So here, we were looking for plus or minus one or 2, but you could say things like combinations that make 10.

Barbara

Oh, like 4 and 6.

Michelle

Aha, so if I had a 7, I could say ‘Do you have a 3?’

Barbara

Right.

That's a really good idea.

Michelle

Alright, over to you mathematicians to have some fun.

Go fish.

Barbara

Have fun.

Michelle

I should have said ‘Have some fun fishing’.

So, what is the mathematics here when we play this game?

Being confident with knowing and using important mathematical relationships is critical for our learning in mathematics.

So, knowing one more, 2 more, one less, and 2 less helps us with things like counting forwards and backwards, identifying and using the number before and after.

Using landmark numbers to solve problems, and many, many more things too.

So over to you mathematicians to have fun fishing.

Enjoy!

[End of transcript]

Instructions

  • Each player gets 7 cards. The rest of the cards are placed in a pile in the middle.
  • Players try to make pairs that are 1 more, 1 less, 2 more, or 2 less.
  • Once they can't make any more pairs, they can take turns to ask their opponent
    • If their opponent has a card of that number they must give it to the asking player
    • If they don't, they say 'Go Fish' and the player gets a card from the central pile of cards.
  • Play continues until one player has no more cards left in their hand. They are the winner!

Another way to play

Play continues until there are no cards left. The player with the most pairs is the winner.

Category:

  • Combining and separating quantities
  • Early Stage 1
  • Mathematics (2022)
  • Representing whole numbers
  • Stage 1

Business Unit:

  • Curriculum and Reform
Return to top of page Back to top