Lesson 1

Lesson 1: Strategy in Games, Puzzles, and Patterns

 

Focus

 

Have you ever noticed how two people can be playing the same game but have two completely different strategies? Understanding your opponent’s strategy is very important in games like chess or role playing games. In these types of games, the success of your next move is dependent on your opponent’s move.

 

 

Understanding strategy can also help to improve your success with one-player games or puzzles. You probably already adapt your strategy based on what works and what doesn’t work. This is part of becoming a better player whether you are playing against yourself, a real opponent, or a virtual opponent.

 

In this lesson you will investigate how different strategies can be used to find solutions to a puzzle or for winning a game.

 

This lesson will help you answer the following inquiry question:

• How can different personal strategies be used to solve a puzzle or win a game?

Assessment

 

All assessment items you encounter need to be placed in your course folder.

 

While you will not be handing in any work from Lesson 1 for marking, the activities in this lesson will prepare you for other assignments in this module. This lesson provides you with opportunities to investigate, discuss, and practise the knowledge and skills you are learning. For instance, in Try This and Share, you can check your answers with other students to see if you are on track. If you are having difficulty with concepts or calculations, contact your teacher.

 

For those items that you will not be handing in for marking, you should have already had a discussion with your teacher about how you can access the solutions to these questions. Make sure to follow your teacher’s instructions.

 

Materials and Equipment

• 10 coins of one denomination (pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, loonies, or toonies)
• favourite game

Time

 

Each module is made up of lessons. Each lesson in Mathematics 20-2 is designed to be completed in approximately 80 minutes. You may find that you require more or less time to complete different lessons depending on your strengths. It is important that you progress at your own pace based on your individual learning requirements.