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Lesson 5#                            Games of Chance

SUBJECT: Physical Education

TOPIC: Games of chance

TIME FRAME:  2 - 3 classes

COMMON ESSENTIAL LEARNINGS:  Communication, Independent Learning, Critical and         Creative Thinking, Personal Social Values and Skills.

MATERIALS:  Four large sticks (2" x 12") to be used as dice. Plain on one side, and painted on the other side. Ten and one point tally sticks. Each person gets 4-10 point tallies and 10-1 point tallies.

1. OBJECTIVES:             Saskatchewan Physical Education Objectives

Cognitive: Students will...

- display an understanding of the terminology, rules,safety concepts, movement patterns and performance cues that apply to the game.
- demonstrate ability to transfer knowledge about rules, etiquette and motor skills from one game to another.
- demonstrate an understanding of the origin and history of their game.

Psychomotor: Students will...

- explain and demonstrate basic movement patterns and performance cues related to their    game.
- apply movement concepts and principles to the learning and development of movement   patterns and skills.

Affective/Spiritual:  Students will...

- display increased self-confidence, self-sufficiency, and individual initiative while playing
   the game.

2. RESOURCES:

                           http://collections.gc.ca/games/chance/index.html

3. PURPOSE/TEACHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

    The purpose of this lesson is to give students a chance to involve themselves in traditional games that were played by the Plains Cree people.  The games gave the people time to relax, unwind and get to know visitors.  There were certain games for the men and other games for the women.  In this instance, this game was more for the women's safety than anything else, as the men tended to play more challenging.  Games of chance gave women the opportunity to wager for things that they needed like a pot or beads.  The men would wager for things that they needed like guns or knives. 

4. ACTIVITIES/IDEAS:

There are seven games of chance on the internet; 
                                                       http://collections.gc.ca/games/chance/index.html  

Divide the students into groups and either give them a game to study or have them pick.  The groups will then study their game and get to know it inside and out. They will need to make whatever equipment is needed.  This process may take a few days, until then have the students improvise.  The students are going to teach the game to the rest of the class.

After all of the groups have had sufficient time to learn their game and make the equipment, have the groups give a brief explanation of their game and take turns teaching the game to the rest of the class.  It might even be more beneficial to set up stations, and have each group at a station with the name of their game in front.  Have other classes join in and play.

5. EVALUATION:

An example of a traditional Plains Cree dice game.