This is a really neat game invented in 1967 by two mathematicians that was soon after published in Scientific American, where it caught fire with people all over the world. It’s a very simple game with a lot of interesting mathematics in it, and all you need are two people, a pencil, and paper.
Download the student worksheet that goes with this lesson.
1. Draw two or three dots on the paper, spaced out a bit. They can really be anywhere you want.
2. The first player draws a line that two of the spots, and makes a new spot in the middle of the line. (You can make a line joining one spot to itself also.)
3. The second player draws her line and spot also, remembering these rules:
a. You can’t make a line that crosses another line.
b. Only three lines per spot, coming to or from it.
4. The winner is the last person to draw a spot!