drwjkirkpatrick-web/shisima-game-lesson

Educational Shisima board game from Kenya with AI opponent — lesson plan for ages 10-17 # Shisima — A Strategy Game from Kenya 🇰🇪 An educational project that teaches students ages 10–17 how to code by building a traditional Kenyan board game with an AI opponent. ## What Is Shisima? Shisima is a traditional three-in-a-row strategy game from the **Tiriki people** of western Kenya. The word *shisima* means "well" or "source of water," and the game pieces represent water bugs drawn to the well. Players move pieces along an octagonal board, trying to align three in a row through the center. ## What's In This Repo? | File | Description | |------|-------------| | `index.html` | Complete playable game with AI opponent. Just open in any browser. | | `LESSON_PLAN.md` | Full 6-session lesson plan for teaching students ages 10–17. | | `starter/index.html` | Student template with TODO comments — build the game yourself! | ## Quick Start 1. **Play the game:** Open `index.html` in any web browser. No installation needed. 2. **Read the lesson plan:** Open `LESSON_PLAN.md` for a complete teaching curriculum. 3. **Build it yourself:** Open `starter/index.html` in a text editor and follow the TODO comments. ## What Students Learn - **Data structures** — representing a board game as arrays and adjacency lists - **Algorithms** — the minimax algorithm for game AI, with alpha-beta pruning - **Game logic** — valid moves, win detection, game state management - **Web development** — HTML, CSS, SVG graphics, and JavaScript in one file - **Cultural awareness** — the origins of Shisima and Kenyan board game traditions ## Difficulty Progression Shisima is the simplest of Kenya's traditional board games. Students who master it can progress to: 1. **Shisima** (this project) — 9 positions, 6 pieces, minimax AI ★☆☆☆☆ 2. **Giuthi** (Kikuyu) — 2-row mancala, relay sowing ★★☆☆☆ 3. **Kiothi** (Meru) — mancala with setup phase, chain captures ★★★☆☆ 4. **Bao la Kiswahili** (Swahili) — "The King of Mancala" ★★★★★ ## Requirements - Any computer with a web browser and text editor …