Fathom Simulation of the Name Game

 

            I’m really proud of this simulation   I enjoyed setting it up, and I learned a lot using it.  I wrote an article about it for the Mathematics Teacher.  In the “Name Game,” students write their names on slips of paper, mix them up, and make conjectures about things like how many will pick their own papers (as some of my students pointed out, it’s not really a game…).  It’s a nice first day of class activity  in classes where students are very nervous, I sometimes have them write how they feel about taking the class, instead of writing their names, and then when we read the tags out loud, they calm down.  One of the hard things about this as a first day of class activity, however, is that the mathematics gets deep pretty quickly.  I don’t go too far with it any more in introductory classes; however I had my Combinatorics class read my article and play with the simulation last semester, and that went well (the article was hard for some in places though).

            I only used the student sheet for the simulation once, and unfortunately, right before spring break when students were exhausted.  I think it’s got potential, though.

            You do need fathom to run the simulation.  I tried to include sufficient instructions within, although some students certainly need help, especially if they’re new to the software.     

 

 

 

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