Students prepare for Christmas by reviewing lessons Jeopardy!-style |
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Written by ANGELA KESSLER, Chronicle Editor
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Friday, 05 December 2008 01:00 |
TOLEDO—It starts with the familiar "swish" sound and Johnny Gilbert’s mello voice announcing, "This is Jeopardy!"
The similarities don’t end there: As the game gets started in the art classroom at Toledo St. Catherine School, the big screen transforms into a six-by-six grid of blue boxes, filling in with dollar amounts amid a series of audible "boops" and "beeps."
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| Carly Szymanski, left, pauses to think before answering a question. She
buzzed in before her opponent Kayla Mitchell could. (Chronicle photo by
Angela Kessler) |
Excitement mounts as the fourth- graders learn the categories their three teams will be competing in today: Advent Colors, Jesse Tree, Advent Numbers, More Jesse Tree, Ancestors of Jesus and Even More Jesse Tree in the first round of the "Classroom Jeopardy!" game.
Using a remote controller, Megan Cutcher, religion teacher, begins the game. In this version, the class has been divided into three teams, with one player from each team taking a turn competing against players from other teams.
Players grasp wireless "buzzers" to ring in when they know the answers. And just like the real quiz show on television, students must answer in the form of a question.
Fourth-grader Madison Valentine says it’s fun to play "Jeopardy!" in the classroom, especially because it’s just like the TV show. She even invented a new word to describe the game: "it’s funducational!"
Her classmate Trevor Ransdell talks about "Classroom Jeopardy!" in different terms.
"It will help us on tests and other times," he says.
While the game is played primarily like the television show, the students do point out some differences. Teddy Berning points out the buzzers are wireless, and Abigayle Johnson relates that points wagered on a Daily Double are given to another team if answered incorrectly.
Sister Carol Ann Mary Smith, principal of St. Catherine, says the game was purchased at the end of last year after she saw it promoted in one of the professional journals to which she subscribes. She originally bought "Classroom Jeopardy!" with three pre-made games to help the students prepare for the ACRE (Assessment of Catechesis Religious Education) test given to students throughout the diocese.
What’s even better is the fact that teachers can create their own games. Sr. Smith created the Advent game the children are playing and another teacher has already used the ìClassroom Jeopardy!î software to create games for other subjects as well.
At St. Catherine, the game is attached to a laptop computer and projector, which the school already owns. "Classroom Jeopardy!" comes with a scoreboard for three players or teams, a teacher remote, three buzzers and a cartridge with sampler games and storage space to create custom games and the software to create the games.
All the equipment was purchased with proceeds from Market Day fundraisers earmarked for technology. The game costs about $550 and pre-programmed cartridges are $32.99 each.
More information about the game is available at classroomjeopardy.com and Catholic pre-programmed cartridges are available online at www.fplaum.com.
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Last Updated on Friday, 06 February 2009 09:39 |
