by Dave and Michelle Youngs
The idea for the Puzzle Corner this month comes from Kay Kent, an AIMS trainer and member of the Advisory Council from North Carolina. The idea was shared with Kay by her friend Tammy Cullum from Craven County, North Carolina.
Three in a Row is a two-person game played on a 3 x 3 square grid using six markers. Each player needs three markers which can be easily distinguished from those of the other player. Coins, beans, buttons, checkers, math chips, or any other small manipulatives will all work well. The object of the game is to get three markers in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Players begin by taking turns placing their markers into empty spaces on the grid one at a time. Once all six markers have been placed, if neither person has three in a row, play continues by sliding the markers from one square to another. Markers may slide into any adjacent empty space horizontally or vertically, but may not move diagonally. The game ends when one player succeeds in getting all three of his or her markers in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, or a stalemate is reached.
A stalemate is possible when one or both players simply move the same marker back and forth between two spots. If this begins to occur with some frequency, a rule can be made that you are not allowed to move your marker back into the spot it just vacated until one round has passed. This will prevent students from repeating the same move over and over, keeping the game from progressing.
As students play this game, they will soon discover that the strategy lies not only in how you move your markers once they are on the grid, but in the original placement of those markers. After several rounds have been played, encourage students to stop and evaluate the strategies that they are using. Which player is winning more often? What is that person doing differently? Are there certain moves/locations that will always let you win?
We hope you and your students have fun playing this new game. If you have any questions or comments about this or any other Puzzle Corner activity, please feel free to write us here at AIMS: PO Box 8120, Fresno CA, 93747, or by email: meyoungs@fresno.edu or dyoungs@fresno.edu.