Learning About Dominoes

Dominoes are a fun way to play games that involve stacking flat rectangular blocks on top of each other in long lines. If the first domino in a line is knocked over, it causes the others to fall in a sequence that can continue until every domino has fallen. Students can use dominoes to create interesting patterns and to practice the commutative property of addition. They can also name addition equations using dominoes to bridge the transition from moving manipulatives to writing with symbols and numbers.

Domino’s pizza franchise has grown to more than 11,500 stores worldwide, and it is the largest in the United States. The company’s success is attributed to many things, including a focus on technology and a culture of listening to customers and employees. Domino’s is always experimenting with new ways for people to order their pizza, such as by texting an emoji or using devices like Amazon Echo.

The word “domino” means “little one,” and it has been suggested that the shape of the domino, with its ebony black and ivory colors, resembles the head of a priest in contrast to his white surplice. The game was developed around the mid-18th century in Italy and France, and was introduced to England by French prisoners toward the end of that century. The game has since spread throughout the world, and a variety of variations are available for players to enjoy.

There are a number of different rules for different kinds of domino games. The most basic involves each player laying a single domino in turn until he has played all of the ones he holds. If a player cannot make a play, he must “chip out,” or rap the table, and pass play to the next person. The winner is the partner who has the fewest dominoes remaining.

A more advanced kind of domino game involves setting up dominoes in a line with each domino touching its neighbor. Then the players score points by laying additional dominoes, either adjacent to the ones already in place or perpendicular to them at right angles to form a snake-line structure. Players also can add more and more complex dominoes to the chains, but the main objective is to get all of the dominoes to fall. In addition, a player scores by laying all of his dominoes, called going out, which can be done by playing all of the ones on his end of the line.