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Magician’s Rock, Paper, Scissors!

In this activity, students play a magic-themed game to transform into different creatures.

Observation and paying close attention to the results of actions are key in scientific research... and in competing in this active game.

Objectives

  • Explain the importance of observation when doing science.

Materials

  • Per Class:
    students
    large open space

What To Do

Levels:

  • 1 – A magician’s hat (hold hands in a triangle above the head)
  • 2 – A magician’s bunny (hop around like a bunny holding fingers up like ears)
  • 3 – A magician’s dove (flapping wings)

How to Play:

  1. Students begin at level 2. They move as the magician’s bunny.
  2. When two students meet they play rock paper scissors.
  3. The winner goes up a level (and makes the appropriate sign). The loser goes down a level.

Variations:

  • Continuous play — For continuous play with no winner, set the rules so that students can continue to play, even if they lose when they are at level one.
  • Play with an ending — For play with an end-point and a winner, have students sit down if they lose while at level one. The last student standing is the winner!
  • Conga-line — When a level one student loses, they stand behind their winning partner with hands on the winner’s shoulders. They move as one unit, the winners gathering a line of students behind them. Eventually, the class will become two long lines with two magicians facing off!

About the sticker

Survivors

Artist: Jeff Kulak

Jeff is a senior graphic designer at Science World. His illustration work has been published in the Walrus, The National Post, Reader’s Digest and Chickadee Magazine. He loves to make music, ride bikes, and spend time in the forest.

About the sticker

Egg BB

Artist: Jeff Kulak

Jeff is a senior graphic designer at Science World. His illustration work has been published in the Walrus, The National Post, Reader’s Digest and Chickadee Magazine. He loves to make music, ride bikes, and spend time in the forest.

About the sticker

Comet Crisp

Artist: Jeff Kulak

Jeff is a senior graphic designer at Science World. His illustration work has been published in the Walrus, The National Post, Reader’s Digest and Chickadee Magazine. He loves to make music, ride bikes, and spend time in the forest.

About the sticker

T-Rex and Baby

Artist: Michelle Yong

Michelle is a designer with a focus on creating joyful digital experiences! She enjoys exploring the potential forms that an idea can express itself in and helping then take shape.

About the sticker

Buddy the T-Rex

Artist: Michelle Yong

Michelle is a designer with a focus on creating joyful digital experiences! She enjoys exploring the potential forms that an idea can express itself in and helping then take shape.

About the sticker

Geodessy

Artist: Michelle Yong

Michelle is a designer with a focus on creating joyful digital experiences! She enjoys exploring the potential forms that an idea can express itself in and helping then take shape.

About the sticker

Science Buddies

Artist: Ty Dale

From Canada, Ty was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1993. From his chaotic workspace he draws in several different illustrative styles with thick outlines, bold colours and quirky-child like drawings. Ty distils the world around him into its basic geometry, prompting us to look at the mundane in a different way.

About the sticker

Western Dinosaur

Artist: Ty Dale

From Canada, Ty was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1993. From his chaotic workspace he draws in several different illustrative styles with thick outlines, bold colours and quirky-child like drawings. Ty distils the world around him into its basic geometry, prompting us to look at the mundane in a different way.

About the sticker

Time-Travel T-Rex

Artist: Ty Dale

From Canada, Ty was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1993. From his chaotic workspace he draws in several different illustrative styles with thick outlines, bold colours and quirky-child like drawings. Ty distils the world around him into its basic geometry, prompting us to look at the mundane in a different way.