McGraw-Hill Social Studies Return to Adventures in
Time and Place
Adventures in Time and Place Grade 7 book Web-Linked Lesson Plans
 
Invent a Board Game
 
Connection to Adventures in Time and Place
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    		• Grade 6/7
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    		• Unit 4: Latin America
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    		• Chapter 9:
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    		• Lesson 1: The Mayas
     
    Web Link Description
    Historical evidence indicates that games were an important part of Mayan culture. Game boards have even been found etched into the stone of some Mayan buildings. At Play Bul, A Mayan Game of Chance, students can play three versions of the popular Mayan game of Bul. The page is accessible from the Web site Rabbit in the Moon, which offers information about Mayan culture. The Web site includes information on topics such as the Mayan calendar, the Mayan language, and examples of ancient Mayan games.

     
    Student Objectives
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    		• to invent and design a new board game
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    		• to play an online version of the Mayan game of Bul
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    		• to learn about the Mayan culture
     
    Before Online Activity
    Ask students to name some board games they play, such as Scrabble, Monopoly, and Battleship. Explain that board games and games of chance played an important role in the Mayan civilization, as they would later in the Aztec civilization. If you are using Latin America and Canada, have students read pages 202-207 for background information about Mayan culture. Then tell them that they will be able to play an online version of the Mayan game Bul.

    Arrange students into pairs to play the online game. Then, combine two or three pairs into small groups, and ask each group to invent and design a new board game. Have available art supplies such as posterboard, rulers, colored paper, paste, and markers or colored pencils for students to use in completing their projects.

     
    Online Activity
    Play Bul, A Mayan Game of Chance
    URL: http://www.halfmoon.org/bul.html

    Distribute student project sheets. If necessary, help students navigate the Web site to read about the Mayan culture and to find Play Bul, Play Bul Faster, and Play Bul Fastest. Be sure students understand how to play the game and how to move to different versions of the game. Encourage them to begin with Play Bul before advancing to a faster version of the game. Then distribute art supplies for students to use in designing their own games.
     
    Student Project Sheet
    Print the online student project sheet to create a blackline master. For best results, be sure that your browser's font size has been set to "12" and that your browser has been set to print in "portrait mode."
     
    Sharing the Project
    Encourage students to play the games invented by their classmates.
     
    Assessment Idea
    Ask students what the game Bul suggests about the Mayan culture. Was the culture entirely peaceful or did it include warlike elements? What kind of clothing did the Maya wear? Were the people mostly solitary or social?
     
    Home Connection
    Ask students and family members to discuss their favorite board games. Suggest that family members take turns playing one another's favorite game and that they talk about what each of the games reveals about today's culture.