CEClang.43


TITLE:    The Dictionary Game

AUTHOR:   Mark Quinn, Caldwell Seventh Day Adventist
          School; Caldwell, Idaho

GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT:   4-12
I've used this game with students as low as fourth grade and
it went pretty well, but I wouldn't go below that.  The game
is ideal for middle and high school students.  It can be
used in any subject area (Social Studies and Science are the
best though).

OVERVIEW:  The Dictionary Game (also called Balderdash) is
an activity I use to introduce new vocabulary words from
content areas.  In order for the game to work all students
playing the game must be completely ignorant as to the
definition of the word being used.

PURPOSE:  Learning new vocabulary words is a tedious and
boring process, but it's also a necessary activity.  This
game is one way to take the "boring" out of the process.
When learning is fun, students remember what they learned
longer.

OBJECTIVE(s):  Students will learn new vocabulary words that
are to be used in an upcoming unit.  Students will also
practice writing in a style different from any others they
have tried (dictionary style).

RESOURCES/MATERIALS:
The words and their definitions plus enough identical pieces
of paper to go around.

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
(how to play the game)
1.   The teacher chooses a word that no student can define.
2.   Each student (or group of students if teacher chooses
     to play in teams) will write a made-up definition for
     the word in question and the teacher will write the
     real definition.  All of the definitions must be
     written on identical pieces of paper so that the paper
     doesn't become the clue.
3.   All definitions are turned into the teacher and read by
     him/her.  Then instruct each student to vote for a
     definition when the teacher reads them through the
     second time.
4.   Points are scored in two ways:
     a.  someone votes for your definition as the real
         one (one point per vote).
     b.  you vote for the correct definition.
5.   The winner is the student with the most points.

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:  The game is the most fun when the
players get creative and humorous with their made-up
definitions.  The teacher needs model definitions so that
students can see how to do it.