Marbles

Marbles

Materials:        12 Bags, each bag has 30 marbles & 1 shooter

                           Chalk or spade to make circle diagram

Classroom Time: 1 class period

Teacher’s introduction to the activity:  

Marbles is probably the 2nd oldest game ever played; by the Egyptians, the Aztecs, Native Americans, and even cave people. Marbles have been made by glass, china, clay, or even genuine marble. The “Cat’s eye” marble of Japan was extravagant, but when earth was described by Neil Armstrong from the moon as “a Big Blue Marble” it became living history.

Objectives:

1. The student will learn the rules of Marbles.

2. The student will play marbles observing the rules.

3. The student will observe the geometric angles when one object hits another.

4. The student will observe the power necessary to move objects a given distance.

Instruction:

1. We will begin by “lagging”; whoever shoots closest to the lag line begins the game.

2. With your “shooter” you must knock one of the marbles on the cross out of the circle.

3.  You must have one knuckle on the ground until the marble has been shot.

4. Adjust the force you use, and remember the marble must not travel farther than the lag line.

Variation: There are numerous variations in marbles, i.e. the Marble Game.