Engage your students with one of the “Guess What? Games“. These games can be used to introduce topics or to review them and get students thinking creatively, communicating and moving pretty quickly. Not only will you set the stage to the type of classroom you will run, but it let’s them know that your teaching style is probably very different than most typical classrooms!

Set

• Ask students if they remember the game “Guess Who?” Ask how many played this when they were younger. My guess it that most students will be familiar with it.
• Explain that this is an adaptation of that game. In the original game, you were only allowed to ask yes or no questions to narrow down your answers before guessing who the person was. In this version, students create the clues and share them one at a time around a “thing” while mingling with peers. Answer options will be a “bank of answers” on the board or screen and students earn more points the earlier they can guess what the “thing” is on the other end of the interview. If the person is guessed correctly with the first clue, then they earn 3 points. If the second clue yields them the correct answer, then they earn 2 points and if it takes the third clue to answer correctly, 1 point is earned. If the final answer is incorrect, then ZERO points are scored.
• The person with the highest number of points in the end wins! Prizes are optional, but what they don’t realize is that they have started researching, thinking critically and creatively, making educated guesses, communicating, moving and probably having a lot of fun in the process! Before they know it, the period will be over and you got to observe the dynamics of your class immediately!

Materials

• iPad or Laptop
• Projector & Screen (optional)
• Index Cards
• Prizes (optional)

Directions

• NOTE: The first page on each game is for the TEACHER ONLY. Once you decide which verson of the game you are playing, then cut apart the fibers, stocks or French foods, shuffle and randomly place in an envelope or container for students to randomly select. Be sure to inform your students that they MUST keep their thing a SECRET for this to work. As students select their textile, stock or food, write down the number they’ve been assigned so you have a master list. Give students a numbered index card to write their clues and their name on once researching has begun.
• Introduce the game to students, explain what they will be doing once they receive their secret fiber, stock or food. First, they will research their topic very discreetly so others cannot see. As students learn about their topic using reliable sources, they will create 3-4 clues that start vague and get more specific. Prompts and suggestions for what to include are included. Clues need to be written in a way that is not too obvious, but yet challenging. Go over the SAMPLE clues with them for a specific example which will depend on the version being used.
• Once clues are written on the index cards, students will turn them into the teacher until game time.
• On the day that the game will take place, write a word bank of fibers, stocks or foods on the board or on a screen without the numbers. This is like a cheat sheet to help students narrow down their answers. Students will be given an answer tracker sheet to keep track of their guesses as each clue is revealed. Once the class is finished, go over the answers and have students keep track of their points.
• This will be an introduction or review to important textile fibers found in fabrics, stocks from the stock markert or French foods from France.

Attachments

• Textile Fibers Edition (PDF)
• Stock Edition (PDF)
• French Foods Edition (PDF)