XACTIKA Skill Connections

XACTIKA is an original card game, with three ways to play. Students can PLAY TO WIN: take the most tricks, high score wins. Or they can PLAY TO LOSE: take the fewest tricks, low score wins. Or PLAY TO BID, where the student must win exactly the number of tricks he/she bid (hence the name XACTIKA).

The three ways to play all teach critical thinking, math skills, and social and personal skills; however each way to play emphasizes different skills:

• When students PLAY TO WIN, they must understand how to play each card so it has the highest probability of winning.
• When they PLAY TO LOSE, students must understand the inverse of the rule and play each card so it has the highest probability of losing.
• When students PLAY TO BID, XACTIKA challenges and builds their ability to estimate the outcome of a series of processes. Each student must evaluate the probability of being in a position to take other players’ cards that are laid down each round, based on the cards in his or her hand. The game is designed such that cards that appear to be likely to take a trick initially may become less likely to take a trick as cards are played and those cards that do not initially appear likely to take a trick, may now be viable to do so. Developing the ability to correctly bid their hands involves analytical reasoning and following the evolution of the play develops patterning skills. Students must recognize the value of their hand, not just from having the highest point cards in one of the four suits on each card, but also from an understanding of the chances that opponents may or may not have cards of similar value.

Rules for Playing SET with Teams in the Classroom

Note: The following exercises call for the use of SET transparencies or an interactive whiteboard.

Divide the class into teams of 3-8 students each. Go to www.setgame.com and view the SET Daily Puzzle. Duplicate the puzzle on the overhead or project it onto the interactive whiteboard.

This lesson includes 3 different ways to play with teams in the classroom:
Quiet Team Play
Quiet Team Play to Develop English Language Skills
Team Play to Develop Communication Skills

Language Skills Using SET in the Classroom

For this exercise, transparencies can be placed on the overhead projector or printed on a worksheet for students to work individually or in teams.

Activity: Place two cards on the overhead projector. Ask the students to describe the missing card. For younger students, have them fill in missing adjectives in a sentence you provide.

More Advanced Activity: Place two cards on the overhead projector. Ask the students to draw the missing card and then write a sentence describing it.
Example: I need two open purple ovals to complete this SET.
Place two new cards on the overhead projector. Ask the students to draw the missing card and then write a sentence using a different verb or sentence structure. Example: In order to complete this SET, a solid red oval is required.
Continue as above: The third sentence could be: “Please give me an open red diamond.”

Scout SET

Brought to us by Emily, David and Kadi Mink

A fun twist on SET where players try to figure out the final card in each others' SETs.

Download Printable Instructions Here

SET Up

This version of the game is 1/2 luck and 1/2 skill for 2 or more players. SETs are made according to the rules of classic SET.

Object:  To play a card from your hand that does not make a SET with the cards already played on the table. 

Download Printable Instructions Here

End Game SET

Object
To determine the attributes of the missing card.

The Play
At the beginning of the game, remove one card from the deck and place it face down to the side. 

Now play the game according to the standard rules of SET.  When no more SETs can be found, you can determine the attributes of the missing card.

Download Printable Instructions Here