From: Eugene Matusov
Submit: Post Message
Date: 23 Oct 1996
Time: 13:17:42
Search: "Jacks"; Purpose: To check if only girls play the Jacks game at Barrios Unidos.
Entry#1: Author: Valerie; Title: FN# :draft#1:; Date: 18 Oct 1996; Date of observation: 10/16/96.
"The last game we tried out was jacks. at first neither of us got it but then i saw the point. so i tried to tell her in 1% spanish and 99% english how to do it but obviously she couldn't understand. Then i took the mouse away from her and with one hand moved the mouse and with the other pointed to what she needed to do.(For jacks you have to click on the ball, pick up one jack, then click on the ball before the ball touches the ground again. Once you collect all the jacks you move on to getting two jacks per bounce and so on) After watching me she started doing it herself. When she passed the first level she continued picking up 1 jack, so i told her 2 and put up two fingers. she had to start with one jack again but once she passed the level i put up two fingers and we said "two" together. we ended up playing this game for a long time. In this game you get frustrated because you may make it up to five jacks, then miss and you have to start from the very beginning again. At times she got frustrated and told me to play so i'd play for a game, then she would take over. by the end of our time together, whenever she had to start over or when i had to, we would go "ahhhhhhhh" together."
Participants: a girl (around 13, Helda's cousin)
Conclusion: The observation supports Miguel's hypothesis that mainly girls play Jacks at Barrios Unidos.
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Entry#2: Author:Mercedes; Title:FN# :draft#1:Hero, patience, flexibility; Date: 17 Oct 1996; Date of observation: 10/16/96.
" It didn't work, so he just moved on to play jacks at another computer."
Participants: Edgar, 6 year old boy
Conclusion: The observation does not support Miguel's hypothesis that mainly girls play Jacks at Barrios Unidos.
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The end.
Gneral conclusion: We have mixed evidence. Systematic observation (e.g., using tally marking who plays Jacks for in a given period of time) is needed.
Eugene