Zero War
Type of Initiative: Energizer
Source: Playing With A Full Deck, by Michelle Cummings
Props Needed: playing cards, one per participant
Group Size: Best played with 10 or more players.
Setting up the Game:
Divide the group into even teams. Lay a piece of rope or webbing on the ground. Have one group stand on one side of the line, the other group on the other side of the line.
Object of the Game: The object of Zero War is to be on the team with the most players at the end of the game.
Point Value of Cards:
Cards are equal to their face value.
- Jack= 11 points
- Queen= 12 points
- Kings= 13 points
- Ace= 1 point
Black cards have a positive value (+).
Red cards have a negative value (-).
Playing the Game:
Give each participant a card and ask them not to look at it. Two players from each team approach the line and show their cards simultaneously, as in the game War. The pair whose total value is closest to zero (0) wins their opponents to their side.
For example, if Team A has the Four of Spades and the Queen of Diamonds ( +4 and –12 = -8) and Team B has the Four of Diamonds and King of Clubs ( -4 and +13 = +9), then Team A is the winner and the pair from Team B changes sides. In the case of a tie (say, Team A has +2 and Team B has –2), then each pair remains on their team and two new players approach the line.
Learning Skills: Adding and subtracting negative numbers.
Learning styles utilized from the 7 Kinds of Smart: ~people smart, logic smart, body smart
Purchase from the Training Wheels store: Playing With a Full Deck, Jumbo Playing Cards, Colossal Playing Cards, Mini Playing Cards, Round Playing Cards
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