Curriculum Unit: East Asia
Lesson 1: Question and Answer Game
Duration: 2 days

Overview: As an icebreaker to a new unit, this lesson was designed to be a fun learning experience. Students have already been assigned to read the first section of the chapter from the text, World Geography, as homework. They will use this new knowledge to create questions and answers for a game to be played the following day.

Goals: Through selected learning materials, students will:

  1. Explore the physical and human geography of selected countries or regions.

  2. Improve academic understanding and/or performance through cooperative learning groups.

  3. Demonstrate acceptable social skills during group activities.

Objectives: As a result of this lesson, students will:

  1. Understand that regions are areas that possess common characteristics.
  2. Use basic geographic terms to describe the physical characteristics of the earth.

Procedure/Activity:
Day 1-

  1. Daily Brainstarter will be on board concerning Asia Region for students to locate answer while attendance is taken.
  2. Previous reading assigned for homework will be discussed clarifying he main ideas of the section.
  3. Students will then be assigned the task of coordinating their assigned groups to nominate a leader, scribe, and researchers.
  4. Each student should have at least three questions & answers from their homework about their assigned country or region to attribute to the group's goal of finding a total of ten different question. The group members are to verify that all answers are correct. They will then write these questions with correct answerers on provided 5x7 cards including the names of all members of the group.
  5. It is assumed that the whole class period of day-one will be utilized to finish recording of the questions and answers. Since some students will not have completed the homework assignment and new questions will have to be found. However, if students do complete their task early and dependent on time, students will either begin the game or begin their homework reading assignment.

Materials: 5x7 Note cards and Textbook

Assignments Due:
Homework: Three game questions with answers from Chapter 30 Section One (10pts)

Assessment: Students will be graded on an individual basis on homework assignment for completion and correct answers to their own questions. 10 points. 1 point for each question and each correct answer. 2 points will be awarded for successful participation in group activity as noted by name on group cards. Remaining 2 points for correct heading at top of each page (Standard requirement for class assignments)

Potential Problems:
1) Students unusually disruptive with excessively loud talking or impeding group progress will be removed from the group and assigned homework activity in class.
2) Students absent will not lose their group participation grade, but will be required to makeup assigned questions as homework within one day.

Homework:
Reading Chapter 30: Section 2. Pages 629-633. Answer Chapter Review Questions: Vocabulary, Main Ideas, and choice on one Critical Thinking question. Due: In Two Class periods. 15 points

Day 2: Game Day

  1. After Brainstarter and attendance, students will move into their groups.
  2. Cards will be shuffled and each team will take turns answering random questions. Teams will have the opportunity to confer for one minute. Leader will then deliver their response to the question. Each correct answer will win on point for the team.
  3. Each team will have the same number of questions to answer (10) or the equal number of chances.
  4. At the end of the class period or when all questions are answered, points will be totaled. Winning team members and possibly the runner-up team will be rewarded with bubble gum.

Weekly Assignments Due:
Weekly collection of Brainstarters (10pts)
Two article reviews on Asia (10pts)

Students with Special Needs:
Several students on this team have special needs and their grading will be based on modifications noted in their individual IEPs.

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© 2000 by Barbara L. Wilt (Schoolmarm). All written material is protected by United States copyright laws and is not to be reproduced by any means without documented reference & credit provided to the author. The only exclusion applies to Lesson Plans & Classroom materials which are freely available for use by all without restrictions.