GAME DAY

MULTICULTURAL
LESSON PLAN

A S H L E E V E L E Z

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D R . F L O W E R S
LESSON PLAN
Class Subject: 3rd Grade Social Studies
Goal: Students will be able to discuss and play games that are played in other countries.
Objective: Students will be able to identify games from around the world. Students will express their
understanding in participation of games that have been developed around the world. For multicultural education
purposes, students will be able to explain the origins of the games and discuss the culture involved. For an
activity, students will create Chinese Tangrams, and assemble a Big Snake with their bodies. This lesson will give
students the ability to explain how certain games originated, and an understanding in how people from around
the world participate in fun activities.
Activity: Students will be given a Chinese tangram to create a design using all 7 pieces. The picture will be colored
and glued to a piece of construction paper. The goal is how many different images can be made.
Students will then participate in a game of Big Snake where one student is the head of the snake (chosen by
random) and tries to tag others to create the body. The tagged children join hands with the snake and try to tag
others. The leader and the tail are the only ones who may tag free players. If the body breaks, the snake must
start again. The game ends when everyone has been tagged. There will be a 15min timer in place to play game.
Material: Slideshow. 24 printed Chinese tangrams (PDF). 24 pieces of construction paper. Scissors. Glue. Coloring
Crayons or pencils. 15min Timer.
CLASS LESSON
Ms. Velez: Good morning class!
Students: Good morning Ms. Velez!
Ms. Velez: Today we have some fun in store. We are going to learn about
different games that originated around the world, and we will even be
participating in a couple.
Tayler: That sounds really exciting, what kind of games Ms. Velez?
Ms. Velez: All different kinds of games Tayler. We are going to learn about Tug
of war, Chinese Tangrams, marbles, jump rope, hit the pot, and Big Snake.
Lily: This is going to so cool, when are we going to play the games?!
Ms. Velez: I agree Lily. First, we have to learn how these games originated, let
us get started!
*Start slideshow*
Ms. Velez: The first game we are going to learn about is
Tug of War. No one actually knows where tug of war was
first played, but what is known is that it became popular
in England in the Middle Ages. Men from two villages
competed against each other, and then losers fell into a
stream between the two teams.
River: I can’t believe losers fell into a stream! I play tug of
war with my brother sometimes, but not how it was
played in England.
Ms. Velez: Me too River. The Middle Ages is the
European history from 500 to 1500, I find it interesting
Tug of War has been played for over 500 years.
Tayler: Over 500 years? Wow, that is such a long time.
Ms. Velez: Yes Tayler, there are a lot of games that have been
played for hundreds of years. Class, can you believe games that
you play with your friends and family originated years ago and
all over the world?

Students: *shake heads*

Ms. Velez: Another game that will be familiar to you is Duck,

Duck Goose. This game is played in Germany and is called Faules
Ei which means “rotten egg”. Children sit in a circle, and the
person who is “it” walks around and drops a handkerchief
behind someone who then has get up and race back to the spot.

Lily: That is a little different then the game I play. We do not use
a handkerchief.
Ms. Velez: Yes Lily. Another game played in
Germany is “Hit the Pot” where children
are blindfolded and must flip over a
cooking pot that covers a prize with a
wooden spoon. The child first has to find
the pot in the room while crawling on the
floor.
Peyton: That game sounds like a lot of fun!
I would be interested in playing that at my
birthday parties.
Ms. Velez: That could be a fun game to play in class also!
The next game we are going to discuss is one of the earliest
games played by civilizations, can you guess what it is?

Students: *Raise hand*

Ms. Velez: Yes, Louise?

Louise: Jump Rope?

Ms. Velez: Not quite, any other guesses? *raised hands*

Yes, Haley?

Haley: The big snake one?

Ms. Velez: Good guess, but not quite. One of the oldest
games played by civilizations was marbles.
Ms. Velez: Clay balls have been found in tombs of Egypt,
Native American burial grounds, and ancient Aztec pyramids.
Children used stone or clay to create marbles so they could play
games. Later, marbles were often made of real marble, glass,
wood, and even polished nuts.

Louise: That is neat, I did not know that marbles could be

made out of polished nuts!

Ms. Velez: Yes Louise. Mancala is a marble game that I love to

play, and it originated in East Africa in the year 700 and is
extremely popular all over the world.
Ms. Velez: The next game we are going to talk about is
jump rope, where this game originated is conflicted.
Some say that it was Egypt where athletes jumped
over vines, or China where ropemakers played a game
called “Hundred Rope Jumping” as part of their New
Years Celebrations.
Ryan: *raise hand* That is cool how China used jump
rope as a new year’s celebration.
River: I want to play jump rope with a vine that
sounds like fun!
Ms. Velez: Jump rope is very interesting! In
America until the 1900’s jump rope was
considered a “boys” game because physical
activity was too dangerous for girls. When girls
began jump roping, they invented many rhythms
and singing games.
Louise: *raise hand* What? Girls weren’t
allowed to play jump rope? I am so happy that is
not true anymore.
Linda: I find it really interesting how girls were
the ones who invented singing games for jump
rope.
CLASS ACTIVITY
Ms. Velez: I agree my friends! The next thing
we are going to learn about Chinese
Tangrams. This is an ancient game of China.
The objective is for players to create an image
using all seven pieces.
*Presented on slideshow Tangram PDF of 7
pieces and designs*
Rory: That looks really cool. I want to do that!
Ms. Velez: Well class, today we are going to be
making one of these! You will try to make
flowers, animals, and people or whatever you
can. There are 1,600 images that can be made.
How many different images can you all make?
Students: Excitedly raise hands to share ideas.
Ms. Velez: Before we tell our ideas, let me explain
the directions for this activity. You will be given a
piece of construction paper and a Chinese tangram.
Cut out the pieces and create a design, once you
know what you want to create you can color your
pieces and glue the design to the construction paper.
Make sure your name is on them! I want to create
copies to hang in class, that way you can take these
home to share your family as well. Are we ready?
Students: Yes Ms. Velez!

Ms. Velez: Awesome, class please grab your

scissors, glue, and coloring crayons or
pencils. If you do not have a pair, then please
share.

Rory, will you hand out the construction

paper? Peyton, will you make sure every
student is given one tangram?

*pass out materials*

Ms. Velez: Alright class, so what are we doing with the
tangrams first?

Students: Cutting them!

Ms. Velez: What is next?

Students: Color and glue!

Ms. Velez: Awesome job class, I am so excited to see

your creations!
*Observes students designs and process while
completing activity*
Ms. Velez: Looks like most of the class is finished! Let us
share our creations.
Students: *raise hands and explains their ideas behind
how they created animals, houses, plants, etc.*
Ms. Velez: I love how creative you all were,
awesome job class! The next game I want to tell
you all about originated in Ghana, Africa. It is
called Big Snake. This is a game that students who
live in the country of Africa play in their
classroom and at home with friends.
Louise: This sounds super interesting; I am
excited to hear more.
Ms. Velez: This game you all will get to
participate in. One student is the head of the
snake and tries to tag others to create the body.
The tagged children join hands with the snake
and try to tag others. The leader and the tail are
the only ones who may tag free players. If the
body breaks, the snake must start again. The
game ends when everyone has been tagged!
Students: *Raise hands* I want to be the
head of the snake!
Ms. Velez: We will choose who gets to begin
the game with our random name picker.
*Spins wheel of names*
Ms. Velez: Alright Lily! You will begin as the
head of the snake. We will set a 15min timer,
and when the timer starts, the game can
begin. We must be careful and follow the
classroom rules to make sure nobody gets
hurt. Let us get ready.
*Starts timer and observe students during
activity*
 CLASS DISCUSSION

Ms. Velez: Would you all

Ms. Velez: What a fun game
class!
want to play this is a game as
Rory: I want to play that all
a 5min brain break and see Students: Yeah!
the time, that was so fun!
how long we can make the
snake every day?

Ms. Velez: It is always fun to

Ms. Velez: Alright class, you Con: I think it would be cool
mix up the brain breaks, and I
have all voted! to do brain breaks from
think that involving games
games around the world how
Students: *clap* that other cultures play will
we learned today.
integrate a lot of diversity!

Ms. Velez: Class, what did
you all learn from today’s
lesson?
Ms. Velez: I agree with you
Peyton: I found it interesting
Peyton. It shows how games
that marbles were found in
are shared around the world.
Aztec pyramids.
Who else would like to share?

Ms. Velez: It is interesting!

Students: *raise hand*
Ms. Velez: River?
River: I still can not believe
that marbles are made from
polished nuts. People eat
those!
Would anybody else like to
share?
Students: *raise hand*
Ms. Velez: Louise?

Louise: I found the game from

Ms. Velez: Great correlation
Germany Hit the Pot very
Lily, those games are very
interesting, and I want to be
similar! I am glad you all got
able to play it at my next
to learn about games from
birthday instead of Pin the Tail
around the world!
on the Donkey.
Ms. Velez: Are there any other
interesting fact you learned
during today's lesson?
Students: *raise hand*
Ms. Velez: Lily?
Lily: I found it neat how games
have originated all around the
world. I never would have
guessed that jump rope
originated in Egypt or China.

Tayler: I would have never

Ms. Velez: I agree Lily. Anyone
else? *raised hand* Tayler?
thought before today about
where games came from. I just
always played them. Now, I
want to learn more about
games

Logan: I agree with Tayler, I

want to go home and learn
about other games from
around the world.
Ms. Velez: There are so many games out there, it would be
awesome to learn more about them. For homework tonight, I
want you all to go home and research a game. Bring in facts
about where the game originated, and how do you play. Maybe
we will be able to find more games to incorporate into class as
brain breaks or rewards!

Louise: I want to be able to play games and it would be cool if

they were not what people were used to playing.

River: I agree that sounds like so much fun!

Ms. Velez: I am excited to see what you all find! I hope you all
enjoyed today’s lesson and learned something interesting.