Free Graph Paper with 95 Graphs Grids and Games

There were times in college I needed a sheet of graph paper, and wished I could just print out a copy in Word and be on my way. I finally ended up making my own, and thus added to a wide collection of cut and paste resources.

Such material is especially prevalent among teachers the world over, and Paul Edelman has created a successful site for sharing it all. TeachersPayTeachers is the former NYC public school teacher’s site, and it was recently profiled in a New York Times article, which is where I found out about it.

Intrigued with Mr. Edelman’s successful site, I gathered several cut and paste items and assembled them into a document entitled “95 Graphs Grids and Games.”

The doc is divided into four sections. Section One is devoted to graphs and graph paper, and offers 30 selections that can be printed or shown on an interactive whiteboard. Section Two features number grids, including multiplication tables up to 15×15 and several number lines. Section Three centers on language arts, and features alphabet grids and writing lines. If you need some lined paper you can simply print out one of four full page selections and let kids write away.

Finally, Section Four is for games, and I included several that teachers can print out or use in other applications. Traditional checkerboards and/or chess boards are included, along with simpler fare like Tic-Tac-Toe templates. Three Soduko templates are included: those for traditional Soduko, Hyper Soduko, and Six Way Soduko. The three modifiable Soduko templates can be edited in Word.

Finally, two samples of the medieval board game Nine Men’s Morris are included, a small playing board and a full page version. Nine Men’s Morris was a popular board game in the Middle Ages, and rivals checkers in its simplicity, style, and strategy. Unfortunately, Nine Men’s Morris faded in popularity while Checkers remained widely played. There are several variants for Nine Men’s Morris, including Eleven and Twelve Men’s Morris, Six Men’s Morris, Three Men’s Morris, and Achi, which is an African variant. I offer board layouts for each. Finally, I included a code-substitution game of my own design that students can use to create their own secret  codes.

Offered as a free preview for 95 Graphs Grids and Games: one of my favorite full page graphs, “Graph Paper 16.” So, even if you aren’t interested in shelling out $3.00 for the whole 72 page document, you can grab a great graphing paper template gratis.

Study: DS Neither Better Nor Worse than Paper for Memory Games

Game researchers are talking about a new study out of France regarding Nintendo’s Brain Training line of mind-stimulating games for the DS. Alain Lieury over at University of Rennes, Brittany, conducted a study of 67 ten year old players. The students were divided into four groups and given pre and post tests on memory and mathematics. Two groups used the Nintendo DS games for seven weeks. Another group used traditional paper puzzles like Soduko while the fourth group was offered no intervention. Adam Sage with The Times Online details the results:

Researchers found that children using the Nintendo DS system failed to show any significant improvement in memory tests. They did do 19 per cent better in mathematics – but so did the pencil-and-paper group, while the fourth group did 18 per cent better. When it came to memorising, the pencil-and-paper group recorded a 33 per cent improvement, while the Nintendo children were 17 per cent worse. In logic tests the Nintendo children registered a 10 per cent improvement, as did the pencil-and-paper group. The children who had no specific training improved 20 per cent.

The variety of results comes as no surprise. Researchers have long known that all things being equal, the media in which content is delivered does not affect test results. For instance, if one student attended a lecture in person while another student watched a video recording of the same lecture and a third student read a transcript of the lecture, then all things being equal the three students will likely offer identical answers when queried on the lecture’s content. The reason for this is, the content is identical despite the different delivery methods (Clark’s delivery truck metaphor).

Therefore, it seems reasonable that the same or similar exercises performed on digital devices will yield similar benefits for students as exercises performed on paper. Other variables play into the equation, however, when technology is used. For instance, a computing device on which to perform the exercises may offer a novelty effect for students, resulting in an initial increase in exercises performed. After the novelty wears off, the number of exercises between groups may level out. On the other hand, a program may be poorly written so that students using it obtain an inaccurate representation of the facts leading to lower scores in the post test.

In short, it does not appear this study either hurts or helps the notion of improving cognitive abilities through the use of handheld games. However, it can be portrayed negatively in the press since it does not fully support the notion. Anyhow, according to Sage’s news report the study will be detailed in Prof. Lieury’s new book, Stimulate Your Neurones, (his spelling) due out soon.

References:
Sage, A. (2009, January 26). Nintendo brain-trainer ‘no better than pencil and paper’. The Times Online. [Online.] Retrieved January 30, 2009 from http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/gadgets_and_gaming/article5587314.ece