Free Lesson Plans For Teachers: Sudoku

Pass-Ed.'s Living Textbook
Free Lesson Plans for Teachers
Alpha Stage

Sudoku
March 21, 2007

The New York Times is running an article entitled, "Inside Japan's
Puzzle Palace."

The article asks, "Will there be another puzzle craze after sudoku?"

"Few Americans had ever thought of Japan as a source for puzzles
until a little more than two years ago, when sudoku suddenly took the
nation by storm, flooding airport gift shops, and even rivaling
crosswords in popularity. Now Nikoli, (the Japanese puzzle company
that first introduced Sudoku) which publishes puzzle magazines and
books, is widely regarded as the world’s most prolific wellspring of
logic games and brainteasers," according to the article.

Read It!!

Discussion-Starters for Younger Children

Ask your students if they think that games are fun if they don't
win every time they play. Why/why not? Would your students
prefer to play a game that they won every time they played or a
game that they sometimes lost?

Help students understand the importance of challenges.
Consider asking your students to set learning challenges
for themselves. What would they like to learn before the
end of the week? Before the end of the month? Before
the end of the school year? Do students think it's OK
not to succeed at first, as they try to fulfill their
objectives?

Do your students prefer to learn math or reading? Why do they
like one over the other? If they don't like one over the other,
what do they like about each?

Consider asking students to write a few sentences about
one thing that they've learned recently of which they are
proud.

Challenge your students to make up games that uses numbers.
They might work in small groups. Provide time for students to
play these games. After they've played the game, ask if they
can think of any ways to make the games better.

Do your students think that they can learn anything from
games? Why/why not? What can they learn from their favorite
game?

In small groups students could teach one another a skill
that they have learned from playing a game.

Discussion-Starters for Older Students

Vocabulary terms to discuss: "Self-Proclaimed"; Prolific;
Insatiable; and, Trademark.

Ask your students what characteristics they think somebody
would need to be a great game maker. Encourage them to
explain the importance of each characteristic.

Consider asking students to develop character sketches
of "ideal game makers."

According to the article, Mr. Kaji, the owner of Nikoli did not
get a trademark for Sudoku. Therefore, the company does not
get royalties when the game is sold by other publishers. But,
according to Mr. Kaji, "The fact that no one controlled sudoku’
s intellectual property rights let the game’s popularity grow
unfettered.." Ask your students to consider how trademarks
effect innovation and creativity. What role do innovation and
creativity play in the development of a society? Should the
United States government abolish trademark laws? Why/why
not?

These questions could prompt an interesting class
discussion. Alternatively, they could serve as a prompt
for persuasive essays.

Using Sudoku as a starting point, challenge your students to
adapt the game into something even better. (Certainly, it's fine
to begin with a different game, as well.)

Consider asking students to work on this task in groups
of three or four. After students have completed it, ask
students to explain what they had to do to succeed in
the activity.

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