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Kleyn-Kennedy: Yucca carnival makes learning fun

Receiving a recent invitation to a Yucca Middle School academic event, I popped over on the appropriate day, just after the activity had started. I had been told that students were going to be working on a project-based learning activity. The lesson was PBL: Carnival Game Economics and Math, and this was the concluding portion of the lesson of Vicki Guiffre’s gifted and talented class.

The idea had been for students to design a carnival-style skill game for a math and economics lesson. They designed a game in pairs or small teams and then built the game to test, then, to gather data as junior market researchers.

On the “Game Day” they would invite testers to play the game and gather and compile all data. Students would then use this data to help make decisions.

After making their calculations for probability, student would then develop pricing options and make other economic decisions in an attempt to turn a profit with their game of chance or skill.

This Game Day served as the culminating authentic assessment for the project. They invited other classes as well as CMS adult staff members to come play their carnival games for fun and prizes to provide them with an opportunity for their market research and development.

Walking into Yucca Middle School, I headed toward the library where the games had been set up. There were cordial student greeters who warmly welcomed visitors and handed out game vouchers they’d also made of red and blue construction paper, while they explained how the event worked.

Upon entering the library, the scene was extremely lively, with games arranged around the room. Guiffre’s students operated the games, while visiting students and adults moving from table to table playing. The room was filled with joyous laughter and enthusiastic chatter as all interacted, clearly having a good time.

Working my way through each game (with appallingly poor skill, sadly), it was an absolute delight to interact with these middle school students, who had become very knowledgeable about their game, offering helpful tips to players. Names of the games included Ring Toss, Avalanche, Bowser, Splinko, Mini-Golf and many more and were made of many different materials and brightly painted. Even better was the expertise and eagerness of the students as they explained their own unique designs and building process and what they learned along the way.

This was an absolutely wonderful and engaging experience for all, not to mention all the learning that had taken place.

Well done, Yucca.

Cindy Kleyn-Kennedy is the Instructional Technology Coordinator for the Clovis Municipal Schools and can be reached at:

[email protected]

 
 
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