CECmisc.65 TITLE: "Beat the Pro" AUTHOR: Dave Carpenter, Mountain View High School Orem, Utah GRADE LEVEL: Any OVERVIEW: This is a fine thing to do instead of lecturing on a subject, especially one (such as the Pilgrims, or the life of Lincoln) which your students have learned (or at least think they have learned) over and over again. You can use it in place of a lecture on new material, or use it to follow up a reading assignment. Here's how to do it. ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES: 1) Prepare a handout with an odd number of statements about the subject. (Nine, eleven, or thirteen work well. If you don't have time to prepare the handout, write the statements on the board or read them off one by one as you go.) Put the letters "T" and "F" next to each statement. 2) Give the handout to the students, and have them take a minute or two (but not much more) to circle either true or false next to each statement. 3) Inform your students they are now going to test their knowledge of the subject in a round of "Beat the Pro." Introduce yourself as "the Pro." After the applause and/or laughter dies down, write two scoring columns on the board, one for "***THE PRO***" and one for the students (although usually I label their column as "them" or "the amoeba" in very small letters to get those competitive juices flowing). 4) Tell your students of the marvelous prize awaiting them if they should accomplish the inconceivable and actually beat the pro. Of course you can award anything you wish, from points to food to the privilege of washing your car. 5) Start the game. Read each statement, then ask how many students thought it was true. If a majority is not obvious, ask how many thought it was false. Berate the laggards as much as necessary so that everyone decides one way or another. 6) If the majority of the students is right, they score a point. If the majority is wrong, the pro earns a point. 7) Explain briefly why each phrase was true or false, or have a student do it. If you'd like, give them more information about the subject between the phrases. I usually keep the presentation under a minute between phrases, and I also leave a couple of blank lines beneath each phrase for notes. 8) Whoever has more points at the end of the phrases wins. If the pro wins, boast a bit (get them primed for the next time you play). If they win, compliment them on their good sportsmanship and how they'd never even think of boasting in any way. 9) There are two things which seem to make this activity more exciting. First of all, play up the rivalry in a good-natured way. Get really cocky for the time you're playing the game, but with at least a half smile on your face. Second, feel free to make the questions as elusive as possible (see the "Abraham Lincoln" example below). If you are doing this to follow up a reading assignment, make the questions tough on the material you'd like them to know. Give them a half-twist from time to time as well. When the cries of "that's not fair" arise, tell the students that they weren't forced to put down the answer they did, and if nothing else works, sigh and mumble something to the heavens about how difficult it is to be the pro sometimes and get on with it. ABE LINCOLN "Beat the Pro" 1. Lincoln was born in Kentucky, in a one-room log cabin. T or F 2. Lincoln had no formal education. T or F 3. Young Abe was famous for his strength and stories. T or F 4. Lincoln was one inch taller than George Washington. T or F 5. Lincoln was a soldier. T or F 6. Lincoln once walked 12 miles to return 6 cents. T or F 7. Lincoln was a good businessman. T or F 8. Lincoln was a good lawyer. T or F 9. Lincoln had a high-pitched voice, and was often nervous when he started speeches. T or F 10. The first election Lincoln won was for President. T or F 11. Lincoln sometimes had long fits of depression. T or F 12. Abe used to carry important papers around in that big hat of his. T or F 13. When he became president, Lincoln's main priority was to abolish slavery. T or F 14. Lincoln was re-elected President by a narrow margin. T or F 15. There is a statue of Lincoln in Paris, France. T or F ANSWERS 1. True. (The Pro is always merciful at the beginning.) He moved to Indiana when he was 7, then on to Illinois at age 21. His father was of the opinion that "when you can see the smoke from your neighbor's house, it's time to move on." 2. False. Studied for around one year under a travelling school teacher in Indiana. Mostly self-taught, however. Borrowed books, copied favorite passages onto paper and bark, then memorized them. 3. True. Some said he was so funny "he could make a cat laugh." Wrestled, rail-split, lifted heavy weights to the amazement of those about him. 4. True. Lincoln was 6'4", Washington 6'3", but stouter. 5. True. Volunteered for the Black Hawk War. Never fought, but was chosen captain by his fellows. 6. False. He only walked 6 miles to return 6 cents after he overcharged them at a store. 7. False. His only real business venture was to run a general store, and he and his partner went bankrupt. It took him 17 years to pay off his debts. 8. True. Taught himself law and became one of the best in the state of Illinois. 9. True. The documentaries are wrong when they give him that "basso profundo" reading voice. He was nervous when he started speeches, but caught fire once he got going. Still, he had a bit of a backwoods twang, saying "git" instead of "get," and "thar" instead of "there." 10. False. He was an Illinois representative for eight years (four terms) and a U.S. Representative for 2 years. He did lose the big election against Douglas for U.S. Senator. 11. True. While it is surprising to many, it is also comforting to those who have the same thing to go through. 12. True. Really! 13. False. His main priority was to preserve the Union. 14. False. He was re-elected by a wide margin, but until Sherman took Atlanta, things looked bleak. 15. False. (Unless you've seen one.) But there is one in Parliament Square, London.