Chinese culture is long standing, among which the philosophy of Yin-Yang has a profound implication. A small rectangle ‘Five in a Row’ checkerboard represents a most splendid aspect of Chinese culture. It is both entertaining and challenging to play.
Five in a Row originated from ancient China, and it was a common board game for two players. The player who lines up five chess pieces first is the winner. Recently, Year 6 students learned the history of Five in a Row, rules of playing the game and how to watch the game as a bystander. We held Five in a Row Competitions among classes. Everyone enjoyed playing it!
Five in a Row indeed makes us smarter. At the very beginning, students had no ideas about how to play the game. However, they became expert at it as time passed by. Some students even figured out their own strategies of playing. While boys were more “aggressive”, girls were more “ingenious”. They all showed different techniques.
Five in a Row makes us become more elegant, too. Students realized that it was polite and respectful to watch a game without whispering to each other. They also learned that we cannot randomly change our minds once the chess piece is placed. This rule not only applies in playing a game, but also in our real life.
Students all had a great time playing, and all learnt a lesson from it.
Y6B Chinese Teacher – Lily SUN