4.2. April 18, 2002: Peg Solitaire

"A mathematician is a machine for turning coffee into theorems."--Paul Erdös

Caveat Lector: This is a web-friendly version of the activity sheet PEG SOLITAIRE. You can also download the file (RTF) for your own use. (RTF is Rich Text Format, which can be opened in Microsoft Word, AppleWorks, ClarisWorks, Okito Composer, TextEdit, Mariner Write, and likely other word processors of varying vintages on varying platforms.)

COORDINATE SYSTEMS: PEG SOLITAIRE

Here are the group roles. We will use the die that Ms. Lee has handed out to our group to decide who gets which role.

Remember, no islands!

highest number
question person/reporter
authorized to ask Ms. Lee or Mrs. Sooy the group's questions

next highest
reader
reads directions and makes sure everyone understands them

3rd highest
materials person
organizes necessary materials and makes sure everyone has something to work on

lowest number
scribe (monitor)
writes notes (keeps everyone on-task)

Today, we will learn about a coordinate system that shows up outside math classrooms.

NOTE: If someone doesn't know how to play Peg Solitaire, don't worry. Everything the group needs to know is in the Peg Solitaire book.

If anyone does want to play Peg Solitaire, stay in at lunch and ask to borrow the book. That's what it's for.

MATERIALS: Before we start, we'll need the Peg Solitaire Book, paper, and pens or pencils.

Take a few moments to look through the book. Don't break and don't lose anything. It's not fair to the people who'll use the book afterward.

1. Read the rules as a group before reading the SITUATION and SOLUTION below. When we're done, everyone should know how the game works.

THE SITUATION

You play a game of Peg Solitaire on the "star board" at a friend's house. However, you know that you'll see Zap the Martian in class tomorrow and Zap will want to hear all about your game. You have a board at school, but no pieces that you can use to recreate the game (assuming you remembered it all).

A SOLUTION

Chess players use algebraic notation to describe the moves. We will invent our own notation to describe the moves in a game of Peg Solitaire on the "star board."

2. Each person should pick a game on the "star board" and play, just to get the hang of it.

3. Here's another example: Battleship comes with a built-in coordinate system to keep track of the game. (If you're not familiar with the game, pull out HOMEWORK #1 and look at question #2.) Discuss whether a similar coordinate system might work for Peg Solitaire, or whether something different would work better. The scribe should take notes.

4. We will create a coordinate system that can describe moves in "star board" Peg Solitaire and make a poster that explains it so everyone in the class can understand. We may not use the book's system.

5. Play a game again, but this time use the system on our poster to record the solution, including the starting positions of the pegs. We will not use a diagram.

6. Find a volunteer to look at the group's poster and solution, and try to recreate the solution. We should discuss how our coordinate system is similar/different from the one in the back of the book, and how easy/hard it was for the volunteer to use our system, and take notes on the discussion.

7. We will turn in:

• group discussion notes
  
• flag design (before and after)
  
• individual reports
  

Each individual report should say:

• how I contributed to the group, with 2 specific examples, such as "I showed how we could modify the book's system" or "I helped figure out the solution when the rest of the group got stuck."
  
• a scenario where I might use a coordinate system to describe a game or design, which can't be the same as the SITUATION in this handout
  
• comments from two group members on your contributions
  

Remember:

• 1. Be polite.
  
• 2. Be constructive.
  

Copyright © 2002 Yoon Ha Lee <requiescat@cityofveils.com>
Last updated on 18 May 2002