The Grade 11 Functions class was playing a card game called ‘SET’ this morning and when Mr. DeVellis asked me into his class I was a little skeptical that this game would fun considering math is not a strong point for me. I was pleasantly surprised and am now a little addicted to the online version that can be found on the NY Times website.

‘SET’ is a card game that consists of a deck of 81 cards varying in four features: number (one, two, or three); symbol (diamond, squiggle, oval); shading (solid, striped, or open); and color (red, green, or purple). In order to make a ‘set’ (3 cards together) you must follow these guidelines:

*They all have the same number, or they have three different numbers.
*They all have the same symbol, or they have three different symbols.
*They all have the same shading, or they have three different shadings.
*They all have the same color, or they have three different colors.

One example of a set would be these three cards:

One red striped diamond

Two red solid diamonds

Three red open diamonds

Check out the game- it’s easier to understand if you see the game in action:

It’s a really cool game and although it looks complicated at first Mr. DeVellis assured me that it’s easier than it looks and that his two young children have mastered it- as for me I’m still working on it. The game is preparing students for a unit on sequences and series that they will tackle when they return from March Break. You can give it a try on the NY Times website by clicking here.