1. Create a list of questions focusing on the content of
the Constitution (Handout
1).
2. Create numbered "cards" that correspond with
the number of questions that you have created for the Constitution
"game" and "tournament."
3. Place students in teams of 4-5 that are heterogeneously
grouped in terms of achievement level. Each team should be
given a letter and each student a number (e.g. A1-4, B1-4
etc.). The 1s are the lower achieving students, the 2s and
3s are the middle level achieving students, and the 4s are
the high achieving students.
4. Place the numbered "cards" that you have created
at each team's table upside down.
5. Distribute one set of numbered review questions (Handout
1) to each team.
6. Have students draw one card at a time. If a student draws
number 34, they have to answer question 34. If the student
gets the answer correct, the student keeps the card. At the
end of the round, the student with the most cards wins the
game. If a student responds to a question incorrectly, the
student to his or her left may "steal" the point
by challenging and giving a correct response. This allows
the students on a particular team to teach one another the
content.
7. Once the "game" round is complete have students
move to "tournament" tables. All of the #1s go to
one table, all of the number 2s to another table etc. During
this phase of the "tournament," the students will
compete against peers of comparable ability to earn rewards
or bonus points.
8. Repeat steps 4 and 5. This time, however, the students
will be competing against other teams (e.g. Team A students
compete against Teams B, C, D, and E). Have students keep
scores and report their individual scores back to their Teams
at the conclusion of the tournament. In other words, have
all of the students from Team A report their scores. Calculate
Team scores. The team with the highest number of total points
wins the tournament. Bonus points or other rewards can be
offered to the winners.
9. Give an assessment based on the content that you have
taught (in this case the Constitution). Compile the scores
of each team. The team that earns the highest number of points
on the assessment receives an additional reward (e.g. bonus
points).
10. Repeat the process using Handout
2 if you intend to conduct more than one round.
NOTE: The teacher's role in this activity is
to be available to the students to answer questions
that no one in a particular group can answer.
