An outdoor strategy game
I am in a delightful mood. My son brought home his “maths challenge” questions and I have spent the last hour working them out. Alas the competition is serious. I may not share my ideas and solutions with him.
Earlier this week I was searching the internet and various maths books for multicultural maths games. I had several reasons for doing this:
1) In the majority world countries, many cultural activities take place outdoors. Thus a strategic game is more likely to be played outside.
2) Many mathematical developments have taken place in other countries: Arabia, Eygpt, China and India to name but a few.
3) One of my favourite games, Owari, can be played with stones and holes or circles drawn in sand or mud. In one cottage where we lived, my husband and I played this game using the patterns on a carpet and chickpeas for counters.
When creating a base on which to play, chalk can be used or stones to scratch a board pattern onto a paving slab. This is a tradition which has happened for thousands of years.
In terms of extending children’s strategic thinking, use questions such as:
1) From which positions on the board is it possible to make two / three/ four moves? Sketch a diagram of the board and record your findings.
2) Where are the best places to put your pieces on the board in order to make a good start? Why?
3) Is it an advantage to start? Explain.
A good quick reference place for strategy games is http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/ufa10/games.htm. It’s worth remembering that time is needed to develop competency in any of these games. Thus by introducing them at the start of the year, they can be used as an interesting alternative to indoor board games.
A whole class challenge is to play one of the games as two teams with children acting as counters and some members being the key decision makers.
Oh yes and do challenge me at Owari - I’m out of practice these days!
