Band Battleship: How to Play

This game combines the use of the director's choice of Power Grid(s), and the old game we played when we were young. To help maintain interest, students will try to sink an opposing team's battleship, in addition to taking turns being evaluated on how many correct random rhythms each can student can play from the selected Power Grid.

setup

The director will need to write, on a piece of cardboard, all possible number/letter combinations of the grid. Examples; A1, B7, H4, and D3, etc... After writing one of each, cut them out like "bingo" markers. Find a small box to put them all in, shake well, and you are ready to begin. The students in your class must be divided into two teams. It is also beneficial to pre-determine the "batting order" for each team. This can be done by class seating order, team captains, or lists made ahead of time by the band director. "Battleship Grid Sheets" are passed out to each participant, who then lightly mark anywhere on this grid four consecutive squares in a line or in a column (no diagonals). The object is for the students to randomly guess where an enemy battleship may be hiding. As the game proceeds, and squares in the grid are called out. If a member of either team marks off the four squares he or she initially guessed, the winner should yell out "BATTLESHIP!!!". If, at that time, his or her team are behind in total points, that team is awarded 4 bonus points. If the same team is ahead, no bonus points are awarded, but they do block the opposing team from receiving the extra points.

Version A:

Only allow one "Battleship" called out per game. This is easier to monitor and saves time checking each student's grid that claims to have sunken a battleship.

Version B:

The director can continue to allow students to call out "Battleship" for his or her four consecutive squares throughout the duration of the game. This version is more time consuming, but it keeps the student's interest and excitement in the game longer. It also keeps the game closer, only awarding the bonus points to the team if they are behind in points at that time. This also keeps any one team from running away with the game early on.

Students need to be careful when they call out "Battleship" if their fourth square is announced. If your team is presently behind on points, call it out right away. If it is the other team's turn, and, at that time, your team is winning, wait until after the turn for the opposing team to be awarded it's points before you yell "Battleship". They may then be in the lead, which will give your team the bonus points, where as the other way it would not. The students need only to keep an eye on the board, and note the points awarded up to that point to determine the best strategy. Students, however, must announce their "Battleship" no later than the end of the turn it is acquired. The director needs to check and be sure at least one of your four consecutive squares needed was called out during that last turn. No "Saving" until your team is behind before calling it out. Also, teammates should try to avoid initially selecting the same four squares on the "Battleship Grid Sheet". This will increase each team's chances of picking up bonus points for for sinking an enemy battleship. If two players on the same team sink a battleship on the same turn, they can only get a total of 4 bonus points IF they are behind at that time. If two players on opposing teams call out "Battleship" on the same turn, they just cancel each other out, and no points are awarded to either team.

To avoid "cheating" or "doctoring" the "Battleship Grid Sheets", the director can go around the room and circle each students selected four squares in red pen or with a yellow highlighter. This will assure that the students are following the opening set up directions correctly, and avoids erasing and replacing the location of the students guess where an enemy's battleship might be hiding. Students cannot fill in these four consecutive squares too dark, if they do, it would be difficult to see which squares have already been called out during the course of game play. Finally, a director needs a blank grid as well. Place an "X" in each square as each coordinate is call it out. When a student claims to have "sunk an enemy battleship", the director then takes the master chart and confirms that all "hits" were accurate, and at least one of them occurred during the last turn.

gameplay

After the "batting order" is set for each team, announce which Power Grid you will be reviewing for this game. Randomly draw one of the coordinate markers from your draw box and call out loud the coordinates to the full class. All students will place a light "X" on that square on each of their grids. You then count off "one, two, ready, play" and the first student then plays the rhythm in that particular square on the Power Grid. The director determines if the student played the rhythm correctly or not. If the student played it correctly, he/she earns one point for the team and gets to attempt to play another measure. If not, the student loses his or her turn and the next person on the opposing team is up. Repeat this process until each player loses his or her turn, or acquires the maximum number of points per player. See the chart below:

Battleship Point Chart

Make a list of all five types of ships and two team columns on the board. After each turn, record the ship type sunk by that student up to the point where he or she "maxxes" out, or play an incorrect rhythm. Do not award a point for the level the student plays incorrectly. Note: the Carrier (5pts.) is as far as a student can go. Students that call out, and are awarded the "sinking of an enemy battleship" also will have the 4 bonus points placed on the board. Remember though, ONLY! if his or her team is behind in total points at that time. Have some fun with the "Battleship" game as well. Refer to students that get 5 points maximum as "Admiral" Smith or Jones the rest of the game, or even the next day. You might even put together some kind of cheap little pin that denotes the rank of "Admiral", and give them out to students that earn that rank during or after the game. Middle school students eat that stuff up.

The winning team will be determined by the highest point total achieved by the end of the game. The length of the game can be determined by the time available in the class period, or by a certain number of turns each member of both teams will have. The director needs to save a few minutes at the end to announce, and then reward or praise the wining team. If time permits, the class could even do one Power Grid the first turn, and a different one the second. Continue pulling out the coordinate markers from the draw box at least until one student calls out "Battleship". Then the director can decide to dump all the markers back into the draw box and star over, or continue as is. That is why there are two blank grids per page.

Note: Some Power Grids are only numbered up to "6" and go up to the letter "F". In this case, have the class darken out the non-useable squares prior to selecting their four consecutive squares. Also, eliminate the Carrier and 5 point maximum per turn, and stop at 4 points, or the Battleship level.