Shisima from Kenya
Figure out how to get your three pieces in a row.
What you need
Paper
Pencil
Ruler
6 game pieces
What to do
Playing the game
1. Each person needs 3 game pieces (any small
object will work). Place the game pieces on
the board as shown in the diagram. Decide
Shisima
who will go first.
2. Players take turns moving the game pieces
one space along a line to the next empty
point or into the Shisima. You may only move
one piece at a time
game piece
3. Only one piece can be in a spot at any
time and jumping over a game piece is
not allowed.
4. Each player tries to make a row with his three game pieces. A row must go
through the Shisima.
5. The first player to get all three game pieces in a row is the winner.
6. If the same set of moves is repeated three times, the game ends in a draw,
no player wins.
What to ask
• Is it a good idea to move into the Shisima on your first move? Why or why not?
• Does it matter who takes the first turn?
Games from all cultures involve some type of strategy. The need to develop
strategies to win a game teaches people how to examine the game board and
problem solve in order to predict what the best next move will be. In doing so,
the game also encourages basic mathematical sense in the forms of data
analysis and problem solving.
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What’s next?
1. Design a game board that has a different geometric shape and a “Shisima.”
How does this change the strategy of the game?
2. Try changing the rules to the game.
To learn more
The Little Giant Book of Dominoes
by Jennifer A. Kelley
The Little Giant Book of Dominoes outlines strategies for playing various dominoes
games.
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears: A West African Tale
by Verna Aardema
Mosquito tells iguana such a preposterous tall tale that iguana puts sticks in his ears
so he won’t have to hear her nonsense. This causes a chain of events that upsets all
the animals. When lion calls a council meeting to solve the problem, the animals
realize mosquito is at fault.
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/ufa10/game5.htm
The thoughtful smile on the face of the Sphinx in Egypt could well be the sign of
contemplating the next move in a game of Alquerque. Play or construct this 3,000
year old game.
How it helps with school
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Standards
Patterns, Relationships, and Algebraic Thinking: 3.6A; 5.5B
Probability and Statistics: 3.14C; 4.13A; 5.12B
Geometry and Spatial Reasoning: 3.8; 4.8B; 5.7A
Underlying Process and Mathmatical Tools: 3.15B-D, 3.17A-B; 4.14B-D, 4.16A-B;
5.14B-D, 5.16A-B
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards
Data Analysis and Probability, Problem Solving
Source: Zaslavsky, Claudia. Math Games and Activities from Around the World.
Chicago Review Press: 1998.
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Shisima from Kenya
Mobil
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Mo
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Path
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MaGnific
87