Indigenous Games
Learning Outcomes:
Math content: Odds and evens. Students learn that odd plus even is odd, odd minus odd is even.
Materials:Twenty-five slender willow splints about 50cm long. (This can be adapted to using any kind of wood stick or strip)
Lesson:
Ahkitaskoomnahmahtowinah - Counting Sticks:
(Taken from site: http://mathcentral.uregina.ca/RR/database/RR.09.00/treptau1/game1a.html)
Origin:Plains Cree - Muskowpetung First Nation - Qu'appelle Saskatchewan
History:Played by both men and women or by either separately. Players are divided into two parties and sit oppisite each other. Stakes such as money or clothing were wagered in the game.
The players are divided into two parties sitting opposite each other. One player begins by secretly dividing the bundle of splints into two lots, one in each hand. If his opponent chooses the bundle with an even number of sticks he wins and gains a point, otherwise he loses and the play passes to the next couple. Play continues until one of the parties decides to stop. The party with the most points wins.
Learning Outcomes:
Math content: Odds and evens. Students learn that odd plus even is odd, odd minus odd is even.
Materials:Twenty-five slender willow splints about 50cm long. (This can be adapted to using any kind of wood stick or strip)
Lesson:
Ahkitaskoomnahmahtowinah - Counting Sticks:
(Taken from site: http://mathcentral.uregina.ca/RR/database/RR.09.00/treptau1/game1a.html)
Origin:Plains Cree - Muskowpetung First Nation - Qu'appelle Saskatchewan
History:Played by both men and women or by either separately. Players are divided into two parties and sit oppisite each other. Stakes such as money or clothing were wagered in the game.
The players are divided into two parties sitting opposite each other. One player begins by secretly dividing the bundle of splints into two lots, one in each hand. If his opponent chooses the bundle with an even number of sticks he wins and gains a point, otherwise he loses and the play passes to the next couple. Play continues until one of the parties decides to stop. The party with the most points wins.
Learning Outcomes:
Math Content:Estimation and critical thinking
Materials: 39 wood strips or twigs about 50 cm in length.
Lesson:
Kutepuchkunuputuk - Stick Guessing
(Taken from site: http://mathcentral.uregina.ca/RR/database/RR.09.00/treptau1/game1.html)
Origin: Plains Cree
History:
There are two types of chance games-guessing games and dice games. Since dice games depended on pure chance, the guessing games were probably the more popular of the two, as they required certain skills. A good player was one who could confuse and successfully hide an object from his opponent. This game is known in Cree as "the game of counting sticks".
Players:2 players
Setup:Prepare 39 (or any odd number) of sticks, try to make them as identical as possible.
To Play:One player divides the sticks into two bundles. One bundle needs to have one more stick than the other. The other player needs to guess which bundle has more sticks. If the player is wrong, the two switch roles.
To Score:The object of the game is to correctly guess four times in a row to win.
Variations:Team Play: in team play, opponents sit facing each other. Each member plays against only one opponent. If the guesser is correct, their team gets one point and the person next in line becomes the guesser. If they are wrong, the divider's team wins the point and the right to guess.
Math Content:Estimation and critical thinking
Materials: 39 wood strips or twigs about 50 cm in length.
Lesson:
Kutepuchkunuputuk - Stick Guessing
(Taken from site: http://mathcentral.uregina.ca/RR/database/RR.09.00/treptau1/game1.html)
Origin: Plains Cree
History:
There are two types of chance games-guessing games and dice games. Since dice games depended on pure chance, the guessing games were probably the more popular of the two, as they required certain skills. A good player was one who could confuse and successfully hide an object from his opponent. This game is known in Cree as "the game of counting sticks".
Players:2 players
Setup:Prepare 39 (or any odd number) of sticks, try to make them as identical as possible.
To Play:One player divides the sticks into two bundles. One bundle needs to have one more stick than the other. The other player needs to guess which bundle has more sticks. If the player is wrong, the two switch roles.
To Score:The object of the game is to correctly guess four times in a row to win.
Variations:Team Play: in team play, opponents sit facing each other. Each member plays against only one opponent. If the guesser is correct, their team gets one point and the person next in line becomes the guesser. If they are wrong, the divider's team wins the point and the right to guess.