AQUiLA MYSTERIOUS MATHS ACTIVITY
AncientAlquerque
Learning objectives
– Developstrategies – Uselogicalthinking
O
1 Hour + INDIVIDUAL / PAIRS : Pairs work DIFFICULTY LEVEL : Bit of a thinker
Yourmission
Ifyouthoughtalthebestbrain-traininggameswereinventionsofthedigitalage , getreadytothinkagain . Sayheloto Alquerque ! ThisvariationondraughtsisTHOUSANDSofyearsold . Theoldestversionweknowofwascarvedontothe �oorofatempleinancientEgypt3,500yearsago . Perhapsthemasonsenjoyedagameontheirlunchbreak ! Later , traders tookthegamewiththem from NorthAfricatoEurope . It ’ sstilverypopularinSpaintoday . Yourmissionistolearntoplay Alquerqueandseeifyoucangetthebeterofyouropponent !
Getstarted
Phase 1 :
MakealargecopyoftheplayingboardasshowninFigure1 . Ifyoumakeyourowncopy , squaredpaperwilbeuseful . Youandyouropponentwilneedasetof12counterseach , 1colourforthem andanotherforyou . SetthecountersoutasshowninFigure1 .
You will need – LargecopyoftheAlquerque playingboard – 12xcountersofthesame colourperplayer ( eg , oneplayerhasalblue , onealred ) – Plainpaper – Squaredpaper – Scisors – Coin – Colouringpens
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