Graphing Fun with The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors
My son’s first grade is currently experiencing a rock, scissors, paper craze. The timeless game is simple and requires nothing special to play. #thebigone and his friends make up complicated versions… Sharks, volcanoes, bombs – they’ve all made recent appearances in our rounds. (Honestly though, I hate the special things- so confusing! The rules are always in flux). I was not surprised when #thebigone started actively campaigning for me to buy a copy of Drew Daywalt’s The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors.
The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors
After thumbing through the book at the store, I was certain this was a book we needed in our home library. Daywalt is well known for his popular The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home, so it’s clear he knows how to write books kids love. The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors was an instant hit with #thebigone, who read it to himself in the car almost immediately.
Adam Rex’s illustrations in the book are incredible. They have a painterly quality about them that the art nerd in me loves. This book is filled with bright renderings of quirky characters, and the individual personalities shine through in the images. The text is presented in varying sizes and fonts, which are perfect cues for expressive read alouds. (Character voices, anyone?!) Just like my son’s friends, Daywalt introduces all sorts of crazy options into the book… Scissors vs. dinosaur chicken nuggets is guaranteed to get kids giggling!
Graphing with Rock Paper Scissors
I’ve been trying to find ways to add a little extra math into #thebigone’s days. The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors presents a perfect opportunity to introduce a bit of geometry, graphing, and probability through a fun game.
Rock Paper Scissors Supplies
- Printable pyramid. (Scroll down to find it!)
- Printable graphing sheet- 1 for each player. (Keep scrolling to download!)
- Scissors.
- Glue stick or tape.
- Crayons, colored pencils, or markers.
Rock Paper Scissors Graphing Game
The game is great because it can be played by one person, or you can play taking turns for multiple players. The winner of the game is always going to be rock, paper, or scissors, so you (hopefully!) avoid any sort of sore winner or loser drama.
- Start by assembling your pyramid. Cut out the shape, and fold along each edge. Use glue and/or tape to assemble.
- Printing on card stock will make the pyramid sturdier, but it’s not required.
- Player rolls the pyramid die. Based on the side of the pyramid that faces them, the player colors in one space in that column on the graphing sheet.
- If it is a single player game, player continues rolling and recording. When one column in the graph is entirely full, that’s the winner.
- For multi player games, players should take turns rolling and recording. When one column in the graph is entirely full, that’s the winner.
- In multiple player games, players can compare winners to see if there are any trends.
Rock paper scissors Printables
