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1- RealExtreme Sports
ESPN, an internationally broadcast, sports entertainment television network, has popularized a group of “extreme” sports in recent years. Skateboarding, bmx, snowboarding, wakeboarding, and many other sports are highlighted annually in the worldwide X Games competition. Participants in these games push the boundaries of their sport using innovative and dangerous moves. However, long before ESPN commercialized these activities, many cultures had their own, much older versions of extreme sports. In Spain, the running of the bulls has taken place in the streets of Pamplona since the 1500s. Thousands of people run for 800 meters alongside six bulls while trying not to get gored. In Kirkwall, a town on the Scottish Orkney Island of Pomona, they have played a sport called Ba’ since the 1700s. Ba’ requires two teams and a 1.5 kg leather ball. The goal is to move the ball from one side of town to the other, using any means necessary. The team starting from the south (the Doonies) tries to get the ball into the water of the northern harbor. The team starting from the North (the Uppies) must throw the ball against a wall at the southern end of town. Broken bones, concussions, and crushed ribs are a common part of Ba’.
Thinking Questions: What attracts people to extreme games and endeavors? Are the motivations any different today than they were centuries ago? What are the origins of ancient and contemporary extreme sports, and what do they tell us about the societies that created them? What are the physiological and psychological implications of going to extremes?
Other Possible Categories: Arts & Entertainment, Social Sciences & Culture, Science & Technology 2- Traditional Childrens’ Game
Children from around the world love to play games. Most traditional children’s games only require common everyday objects, if anything at all. In Germany, one such game is Sardines. In this game, one person hides while the rest of the players look for this person. When a person finds the person who is hiding, this person hides too. Once the last person finds the rest of the hiding group, the game is over and this person starts the next game by hiding first. Kulit K’rang is a game that originated in Indonesia and requires at least 80 small pebbles, a bowl and six players. After dispensing 10 pebbles to each player and putting the rest into the bowl, each player takes turns tossing pebbles into the air with one hand while trying to collect a pebble from their own pile with the same throwing hand. If a person is successful, they get to take a pebble from the bowl and then the next person has their turn. If the person is unsuccessful, they must put one of their pebbles into the bowl. The game ends when there are no more pebbles left in the bowl. The winner is the one with the most pebbles.
Feel free to add more
1- Real Extreme Sports
ESPN, an internationally broadcast, sports entertainment television network, has popularized a group of “extreme” sports in recent years. Skateboarding, bmx, snowboarding, wakeboarding, and many other sports are highlighted annually in the worldwide X Games competition. Participants in these games push the boundaries of their sport using innovative and dangerous moves. However, long before ESPN commercialized these activities, many cultures had their own, much older versions of extreme sports. In Spain, the running of the bulls has taken place in the streets of Pamplona since the 1500s. Thousands of people run for 800 meters alongside six bulls while trying not to get gored. In Kirkwall, a town on the Scottish Orkney Island of Pomona, they have played a sport called Ba’ since the 1700s. Ba’ requires two teams and a 1.5 kg leather ball. The goal is to move the ball from one side of town to the other, using any means necessary. The team starting from the south (the Doonies) tries to get the ball into the water of the northern harbor. The team starting from the North (the Uppies) must throw the ball against a wall at the southern end of town. Broken bones, concussions, and crushed ribs are a common part of Ba’.
Thinking Questions: What attracts people to extreme games and endeavors? Are the motivations any different today than they were centuries ago? What are the origins of ancient and contemporary extreme sports, and what do they tell us about the societies that created them? What are the physiological and psychological implications of going to extremes?
Other Possible Categories: Arts & Entertainment, Social Sciences & Culture, Science & Technology
2- Traditional Childrens’ Game
Children from around the world love to play games. Most traditional children’s games only require common everyday objects, if anything at all. In Germany, one such game is Sardines. In this game, one person hides while the rest of the players look for this person. When a person finds the person who is hiding, this person hides too. Once the last person finds the rest of the hiding group, the game is over and this person starts the next game by hiding first. Kulit K’rang is a game that originated in Indonesia and requires at least 80 small pebbles, a bowl and six players. After dispensing 10 pebbles to each player and putting the rest into the bowl, each player takes turns tossing pebbles into the air with one hand while trying to collect a pebble from their own pile with the same throwing hand. If a person is successful, they get to take a pebble from the bowl and then the next person has their turn. If the person is unsuccessful, they must put one of their pebbles into the bowl. The game ends when there are no more pebbles left in the bowl. The winner is the one with the most pebbles.