Dominos are small rectangular blocks with two groups of spots on one side and a blank or identically-patterned side. They are used for playing a variety of games. A domino is normally twice as long as it is wide, so that it can easily be stacked vertically or horizontally. The spot pattern on a domino may vary; it can have anywhere from six to twelve pips (or dots). Each end of a domino is typically marked with a number value, which indicates how many more tiles must be played before the chain begins to fall over. A player may continue playing dominoes until they cannot make a legal play, or until the total value of their remaining dominoes is less than that of their opponent.
The term domino may also refer to the overall strategy of a game or the resulting chain reaction. In general, the more dominoes you have, the more likely it is that a single knockdown will set off a series of other knockdowns. Depending on the rules of the game, there are strategies for building larger and more elaborate domino chains. A chain of dominoes can be so impressive that it draws a crowd when shown at a public event, such as a science fair or an art gallery opening.
Like the game of poker, in which cards have varying values, Domino focuses on the interaction between two players. It can be a game of skill, a race against time, or even a test of nerves. The game’s popularity is evidenced by its presence at popular events such as weddings, bar mitzvahs and graduation ceremonies.
Domino’s growth accelerated when it started franchising in 1967. By focusing on locations close to colleges, the company was able to target its core audience of students and young adults who appreciated the fast service and quality of Domino’s pizza. The first franchised location was in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
In the classroom, dominoes are useful tools to help students understand commutative property of addition. To help them grasp this concept, teachers can have students choose a domino at random and call out the total number of dots on it. This is a great way to reinforce that adding the same number to both sides of an equation yields the same result, no matter which order you add the numbers.
As a fun variation on this activity, students can also use dominoes to practice their multiplication tables. This is especially helpful for students who have difficulty with number sense. By introducing this activity through the medium of dominoes, students are more familiar with the structure of numbers and are better prepared to learn how to represent them using symbolic representations, such as written numerals and algebraic equations. To accomplish this, teachers can provide students with a large set of dominoes to affix to a whiteboard or pocket chart, along with a blank domino and a domino addition worksheet.