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.
Click here to return to OFCN's Academy Curricular Exchange
Click here to return to OFCN's Academy
Click here to return to OFCN's Main Menu
John Kurilecjmk@ofcn.org