Poly Plug Activities blackdouglas.com.au

The Crawl

Submitted by: Black Douglas

Materials

• 2 Poly Plug sets between 2 or 3 players
• 2 dice per group

Setting Up

FRONT DOOR THIS END

BACK DOOR THIS END

Rules

1. Players take turns to roll 2 dice and add the result.
2. If the sum of the dice is 6, 7, or 8, the player moves their first plug (the one closest to the front door) to become the last plug.
   NB: In effect this is the same as the whole team moving backward one space.
3. If the sum of the dice is any other number, the player moves their last plug (the one closest to the back door) to become the first plug.
   NB: In effect this is the same as the whole team moving forward one space.
4. The winner is the first player to move a plug out the front door.
   But, if you move a plug out the back door, you lose.

The game is called The Crawl because the rules cause the plug teams to crawl forwards and backwards along their path.

Extensions

1. Begin a discussion about the unusual back and forward nature of the game (it is similar to Snakes & Ladders in this sense). Examine what it is in the rules that is causing this to and fro. Lead into an examination of the chances of rolling a 6, 7, or 8 and compare the chances of rolling the other numbers.

   If you played 360 games, how many of them would you expect to result in a 'front door win'? Why?

   If you have 36 children in the class they each only need to play ten games each to gather experimental data which will check the theoretical result.
   (For data collection purposes the game can be played through by one person.)

2. Change the rules so there is an equal chance of moving forwards and backwards.

   Does this fair game mean that no team will ever have a 'front door win'?

   Check your rule change by playing enough games to decide that the results are fair.

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