ACTIVITY 13

Games Galore

Teaching Objectives:

1. Students will research insect facts and devise questions for a game format.
2. Students will create an insect game and play it as a class.

Materials Needed:

• 3 x 5 index cards
• Black markers
• Reference books on insects
• Internet access

Procedure:

Ask the students to brainstorm and decide what type game format they would like to develop. Suggestions might be adaptations of "The Twenty-Thousand Dollar Pyramid," "Tic, Tac, Dough," "Wheel of Fortune," "Jeopardy," or "Family Feud."

When the game's format is decided, determine the style in which the questions must be written. For example, if the students elect to develop a game similar to "Jeopardy," the questions will actually be statements and developed by categories.

Divide the students into groups and assign them specific insect orders about which to write questions. Assign each group the same number of questions to write. If the game has categories, ask each group to name their category also.

Have the groups write the questions and answers on 3 x 5 index cards. Each group should turn in a separate list of the questions and answers along with information about where they located the answers. This will help settle any disputes that might come up while playing the game.

For educational purposes, teachers might want to devise a pre-test using the questions the students have developed for the game. Then, after playing the game several times as a class, with each student having a chance to be a contestant, give the students a post-test and determine whether scores on the average increase.

Supplemental Activities:

Have the students design and create a "set" for the game show they produce. Enlist the aid of the art teacher if need be to help design and build the set.

Invite another class to participate in playing the game. If noise is a potential problem for neighboring classrooms, select a remote site to conduct the game (e.g., the gym or cafeteria).