Learning to Give, Curriculum Division of The LEAGUE

The LEAGUE

Non-print version
Getting to Know The Cards
Lesson 2:
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Lesson
Handouts
Academic Standards
Philanthropy Framework
3rd-5th Grade
Subjects:

Language Arts, Library / Technology, Philanthropy and Social Studies

Key Words/Concepts click to view
ELA: Vocabulary
PHIL: Bridge LEAGUE; Cooperate; LEAGUE Wildcard Lesson: School Bridge
SOC: Rules

Purpose:

In this lesson the learners cooperate in a group, according to a set of rules to complete a group task of observing and naming attributes of a deck of cards.

Duration:

One 45 minute class period

Objectives:

The learner will:

  • use group cooperation to complete a task.
  • experience the value of rules for group cooperation.
  • identify the cards in a typical playing card game by name and typical rank.
  • recognize the meaning of vocabulary used in playing card games.

Materials:

  • A display board
  • One deck of playing cards for each group of four learners
  • Meet the Deck (Attachment One) one per group.
  • Meet the Deck: Answers (Attachment Two) teacher copy

Instructional Procedure(s):

Anticipatory Set:
On the display board, place the four shapes of a spade (♠), a heart (♥), a diamond (♦), and a club (♣).  Have the learners share what these shapes represent and where they might have seen them before.  Confirm the fact that they are all found in a deck of playing cards.  Ask them to tell you as much as they can about a deck of typical playing cards.


  • Arrange the learners into groups of four and place one deck of playing cards in the middle of each group.  Review the table positions learned in the previous lesson and establish the rules for today’s activity by assigning the person in the South position as the “Deck Holder,” the person in the North position is responsible for recording the group answers on the Meet the Deck (Attachment One) answer form.  The person in the East position and West position are the group discussion leaders and final decision-makers for what the North position will record on the answer sheet.

  • Tell the students that they will be expected to cooperate as a group, working within the group rules, to complete a task today. Discuss briefly how this experience will be different from the one in the previous lesson.

  • Holding up a “Joker,” instruct the person in South position to remove the two Jokers and instruct the person in the  South position to place these two cards aside and wait for further instructions.

  • Tell the deck holder to spread the cards out, face up, in the center of the group. Ask the group to look through the cards and make additional observations about the cards.  Introduce the word “attribute” as something that can be observed about a person or thing. When they have identified some of the attributes of the cards, tell the learners that will be conducting an even more thorough investigation of the cards attributes in the next activity.

  • Distribute a copy of Meet the Deck (Attachment One) to each group and instruct them to use their deck of playing cards to answer as many of the questions as possible being sure to follow the rules about roles they have been assigned.

  • Given an appropriate amount of time to complete the questionnaire, have the groups share there responses to each question, and change or complete their form according to the Meet the Deck: Answers (Attachment Two) if needed.  Challenge each group to come up with one more question about the deck that was not on the form.

  • Reflect on the difference between the Lesson One group experience and the Lesson Two group experience. Ask the learners to compare how they felt and what they accomplished. Review the need for rules (Lesson One) and tell the learners that having learned why rules are important and having met a deck of playing cards “up close and personal,” they are ready to learn to play some new card game in future lessons!

Assessment:

Teacher observation of learner involvement in the class discussions, and cooperation in the group activities, and the group completion of Attachment One, serve as assessments for this lesson.

Bibliographical References:

Lesson Developed and Piloted by:

Dennis VanHaitsma
Curriculum Consultant
Learning to Give

Barbara Dillbeck
Curriculum Director
Learning to Give

Handouts:

Handout 1Print Handout 1

Meet the Deck

Below are some questions. Explore the deck of cards to discover the answers. Cooperate with your partners to complete the activity.

  1. A complete set of cards is usually called a ___________________.
  2. The front of a card is usually referred to as its ___________________.
  3. How many different colors do the shapes on the playing cards represent?___________________
  4. What colors do the shapes on the playing cards represent? ___________________
  5. How many different shapes do the cards represent? ___________________
  6. Name these shapes? ___________________
  7. All of one type of shape is called a ___________________.
  8. There are ___________________ (number of) cards representing each shape.
  9. When a player mixes the cards up in order to put them in random order, we say that player is ___________________ the cards.
  10. When a player distributes or passes out cards to begin a game that player is said to be ___________________ the cards.
  11. When a player distributes cards to begin a game, he/she typically is handing cards out in a ___________________ (clockwise or counter clockwise) direction, which is also typically the direction of play during a game.
  12. When players pick up the cards given to them and hold them in front of themselves to look at, we call each of these displays of cards a ___________________.
  13. How many playing cards are there in a typical box of playing cards? ___________________
  14. Typically playing cards also include two additional cards that are not always involved in card games. They are unlike any of the other cards. These two cards are called___________________.
  15. How many different picture or face cards are in a deck? ___________________
  16. Name the picture/face cards. ___________________
  17. Which is the only King to carry an axe? ___________________
  18. Which King does not have mustache? ___________________
  19. Which King has only one eye showing on the card?___________________
  20. Which two Kings hold their swords in full view? ___________________
  21. What are all four Queens holding in their hands? ___________________
  22. Which Jack is looking directly to the left? ___________________
  23. Which Jack is looking directly to the right? ___________________
  24. Which two Jacks wear mustaches? ___________________
  25. What is unique about the Ace of Spades, compared to the other three Aces?___________________
  26. Are the Ace cards numbered cards or a lettered cards? ___________________
  27. In most card games, which four cards are usually the most "powerful" cards? ___________________
  28. In most playing cards games, which four cards are usually the least "powerful" cards? ___________________

 

Handout 2Print Handout 2

Meet the Deck: Answers

 

    1. A complete set of cards is usually called a deck of cards.
    2. The front of a card is usually referred to as its face.
    3. How many different colors do the shapes on the playing cards represent? two What colors do the shapes on the playing cards represent? Red and Black
    4. How many different shapes do the cards represent? FourName these shapes? Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, and Spades
    5. All of one type of shape is called a suit.
    6. There are 13 (number of) cards representing each shape.
    7. When a player mixes the cards up in order to make them more random, we say that player is shuffling the cards.
    8. When a player distributes or passes out cards to begin a game that player is said to be dealing the cards.
    9. When a player distributes cards to begin a game, he/she typically is handing cards out in a clockwise direction, which is also typically the direction of play during a game.
    10. When players pick up the cards given to them and hold them in front of themselves to look at, we call each of these displays of cards a hand. How many playing cards are there in a typical box of playing cards? 52 (54 if counting the two Jokers). Typically playing cards also include two additional cards that are not always involved in card games. They are unlike any of the other cards. These two cards are called Jokers.
    11. How many different picture cards are there? three in each suit or twelve in total
    12. Name the picture/face cards. King, Queen, Jack (Jokers may also be mentioned as cards with a picture, though typically they are not considered part of a deck of playing cards nor often used in games involving playing cards.Which is the only King to carry an axe? King of Diamonds
    13. Which King does not have mustache? King of Hearts
    14. Which King has only one eye showing on his card? King of Diamonds
    15. Which two Kings hold their swords in full view? King of Clubs and King of Spades.
    16. What are all four Queens holding in their hands? flowers Which Jack is looking directly to the left? Jack of Spades
    17. Which Jack is looking directly to the right? Jack of Hearts
    18. Which two Jacks wear mustaches? Jack of Spades and Jack of Hearts
    19. What is unique about the Ace of Spades compared to the other three Aces? It has additional writing on the card (often the name of the card manufacturer). Are the Ace cards numbered cards or a lettered cards ? Lettered
    20. In most card games which four cards are usually the most "powerful" cards? Aces
    21. In most playing cards games which four cards are usually the least "powerful" cards? 2’s (deuces)

Philanthropy Framework:

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Unit Contents:

Overview:It's All in the Cards Summary

Lessons:

1.
Why Games Have Rules
2.
Getting to Know The Cards
3.
Let's Play Cards!
4.
Games, Rules
5.
Crossing the Mini Bridge

Related Lessons:

Let's Play

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