Domino is a small, flat rectangular block with a surface bearing from one to six pips (also called dots) and used as a gaming object. It is also known as a bone, piece, men, or stones and has been used for numerous games of chance and skill. The term can also refer to a series of events linked by causality, as in a Domino effect, and is sometimes used metaphorically for any chain reaction.
A domino can be used in many ways, including a set of tiles for a board game, a chessboard, a train layout, a model brain, or simply as a toy to be knocked over by hand. Dominoes are most often made of wood, but they can also be made of metal or plastic. They are often painted with bright colors to distinguish them from the natural color of the wood, and can be molded into different shapes to form figures or animals.
The most common domino sets commercially available are double-six and double-nine, containing 28 and 55 tiles respectively. In addition, many other specialized and themed sets exist. Dominoes are generally arranged into suits, with each suit consisting of all tiles that feature the same number of pips on both ends; for example, all eight-pip dominoes belong to the same suit. Most games played with dominoes involve blocking or scoring the pieces by matching them up and laying them down in lines or angular patterns.
Dominoes are also often used to illustrate various math concepts, most commonly the concept of addition and subtraction. In the case of multiplication, dominoes may be used to demonstrate the product of a number by arranging them into a rectangle and then adding them together to get the final result. Several other math problems can be illustrated using dominoes, including the sum of multiples and division.
In a domino construction, it is important for the dominoes to be spaced properly in order to create a smooth cascade. In stories, the same principle applies; readers will want to see scenes that advance the story and move the hero closer to or farther away from the goal. However, these scenes should not feel too long or too short. They should also be well paced, so that the hero does not reach his or her destination too quickly or too slowly.
In a classroom, the joy of watching a line of dominoes fall and impact each other like little marbles is mesmerizing for students. However, when a single domino falls before a student is done building the line of dominoes, it can impact their learning and cause them to become frustrated as they attempt to compensate for their struggle. Over time, compensating for a learning challenge can become an addiction and prevent students from developing the basic skills they need to succeed. The key to avoiding this domino effect is to allow students sufficient practice with the challenge they are struggling with before attempting a more complex task.