$20,000 Pyramid Game

Objective:  The student will be able to recognize titles of different types of genre.

Materials:

• Game Board made on poster board, starting with 500 points on bottom row – build pyramid with as many boxes across the bottom as you need and move up the pyramid making each row with one less box.
• Titles of books of different genres so that each box represents a different genre
• Timer

Procedure/Instruction:

·        Begin game by explaining that each box contains titles of books or characters from different kinds of genre.  (Sample cards:  Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, Pecos Bill, Sally Ann Thunder = Tall Tales; Cinderella, Thumblina, Snow Queen = Fairy Tales, Legend of the Bluebonnet, Legend of the Indian Paint Brush, Legend of Sleepy Hollow = Legends; The Lion and the Mouse, Mouse Tails = Fables; Hercules, Apollo, = Myths etc.)

·        Students will be divided on to two teams.

·        The timer will be set for 3 minutes

·        First team has the first card to turn over.  The titles or characters are read off.  The team playing calls out the name of the genre that it represented by the titles or characters in the list.  As soon as they get the correct genre, then the next card is turned over and the titles or characters are read. This continues until they reach the top, or the timer goes off….then the next team gets a chance.

During the game, it a team is unable to identify a genre by the titles or the characters, put that card aside to be discussed at the end of the game.

Closure/Evaluation: Talk about various genres and review characters and traits of traditional literature.

Comments:  This game is a good way to see where to start in lessons on traditional literature or genre study or as a conclusion to see if students have mastered the information.

This game can be modified for any subject or topic as necessary.  The  TV game is based on lists that contestants must identify the whole group.  

See also: 

Submitted by:  Karen Harrell