| Instructional Objective | Learners & Context | Object of Game | Game Materials |

| Time Required | Rules | Design Process | References |

Battling Samurai is designed so that after playing the game, the learner will be able to correctly answer questions on a unit test about key events in Medieval Japan, as outlined in California Social Studies Standards 7.5.

This game is designed for California Social Studies students in the seventh grade. These students are typically between 11 and 13 years of age. They are usually moderately interested in the subject matter, even more so when a popular movie has been released recently that is set during the same time frame, such as "The Last Samurai."

The game could be used in the classroom, or it may be an item in the library for use before and after school during some type of study hall. The game can be played more than once as doing so can reinforce information. Prior to playing the game students should have studied Medieval Japan, and then after the game students may be quizzed or tested on the information.

The goal of the game is to be the first player to collect all five pieces of armor.

The game board is a circular path that has five challenge stations where players can stop and earn armor cards.View game board
(PDF 234 KB)
The armor cards each have a labeled illustration of a piece of armor, corresponding to the labelled and illustrated armor spaces on the board (illustrations of armor cards unavailable in electronic format as of this writing--available later on request). Question cards include questions with multiple choice answers and point values listed at the bottom (corresponding in value to the difficulty of the questions). Challenge included questions, but without multiple choice options or point values.

The game takes approximately 45 minutes to complete, depending on the players' knowledge of the content.

Game Instructions

For 2 to 4 Players - Ages 12-14

OBJECT: Be the first player to earn a full set of armor. You earn armor by answering challenge questions correctly and lose armor in a battle when you take a blow to a part of your body not protected by armor.

CONTENTS: 1 Game board, 30 armor cards, 50 question cards, 50 challenge cards. You will need one small object per player as a playing piece (these can be coins, pebbles, . You will also need one die.

BEFORE PLAYING THE FIRST TIME

1. Print out and cut out the cards. Laminate if desired.

2. Print the game board and arrange sections so that the playing path forms a continuous ring. Attach the sections to each other with tape and attach them to stiff cardboard.

SETUP

1. Position the board so all players can easily reach the board to move their pieces.

2. Place the question cards and challenge cards in the rectangles marked on the board. Place armor cards in the blue boxes next to the challenge spaces that have the matching picture.

HOW TO PLAY

1. Each player selects a playing piece. Put all the playing pieces in the "Start" box. Start with the player whose last name starts with the earliest letter in the alphabet. Play proceeds to the left.

2. During a player's turn, the person to the right of the player draws a training question and reads it to the player. If the player answers correctly, he or she moves his or her playing piece the number of spaces printed at the bottom of the card.

3. If the player answers the training question incorrectly, the question is open to all the other players except the person who asked the question. The first of the other players to answer correctly gets the turn.

a. When the other player completes his or her turn, play continues on to the left of the original player.

b. If the other players cannot answer the question correctly either, play continues on to the left of the original player.

4. Pieces move clockwise around the board. When a player's piece lands on an arrow space, the piece automatically goes backward or forward the number of spaces indicated by the number of arrows.

5. When a player lands on a challenge space, the player must answer a challenge question if he or she does not already have the armor card from that challenge space. Answering the question correctly lets the player collect that armor card.

6. Any player can call for a skirmish, but only during his or her turn. When a player calls for a skirmish, he or she rolls the die. The number rolled determines where he or she takes a hit, according to the Duel Key on the playing board.

If the player has the piece of armor listed for that number, the player is safe, and the rest of the players must roll the die and take a hit.

7. The first player to possess all five pieces of armor at once wins the game.

Original design:

Electronic