Hands-on and game-based activities for teaching math in prison

In this paper we present two experiences of use of hands-on and game-based activities that can help math teachers to improve inmate students' self-esteem and to promote participation and integration through the proposal of rewarding intellectual activities. In the first experience we complemented the curricular lessons with some origami workshops that made certain concepts, algebraic and geometric, tangible by folding paper. This cognitive tool also allowed to produce beautiful objects that some inmate shared with their families. In the second experience we proposed, during curricular lessons, different game-based activities, aimed at involving students and facilitating the learning process. Both experiences were successful and helped inmate students to change their attitude towards mathematics.