The Invisible Maze - StFX



The Invisible Maze

by

Laura Connors

A. Rationale: The purpose of this game is to get students up and moving and having fun while learning about Social Studies. The Invisible Maze is also a great community building activity, as students need to work together in order to complete the game. In terms of where in the curriculum The Invisible Maze might be best used, it is a great game for reviewing material before an end of unit test, but it could easily be used at any time during a unit, as it can be adapted in many ways. Furthermore, this game could be found in any Grade 4-5 classroom and up. However, for the purpose of this description, I have adapted the game to the Grade 8 Social Studies curriculum by creating questions/activities that would best serve students as a review of Chapter12 on Globalization in the textbook, Canadian Identity.

B. Outcomes/Processes: The following are the outcomes that would be covered using the questions which are provided on page 6:

GCO – Time, Continuity, and Change

KSCOs – a) analyse and explain the effects of causality and change over time

b) analyse and evaluate historical and contemporary developments in order to make informed, creative decisions about issues

c) identify and analyse trends that may shape the future

SCOs – 8.3.7 analyse how globalization has affected Canada and Canadians since 1980

Content based:

1) To recall key concepts and important information from Chapter 12 in the Canadian Identity textbook in order to effectively answer questions regarding globalization in the past, present, and future (a,b,c 1)

2) To compare and contrast aspects of globalization in the 1980s to today (a2)

3) To identify and analyse trends in globalization that may shape the future (c2)

Skills based:

4) To interpret a symbol which represents globalization and explain how that symbol represents or is related to globalization (a3)

Affective based:

5) To judge as good or bad the concept of globalization with supporting evidence and examples (b2)

The following are the processes which students would be encouraged to use throughout the game:

Communication

• Employ active listening techniques. (Students would have to use this skill while the teacher explains the rules of the game to ensure that they understand how to play. They would also have to use this skill when they are being asked a question so that they understand the question.)

• Communicate ideas and information to a specific audience. (Students would have to use this technique when they are answering questions during the game.)

Inquiry

• Solve problems creatively and critically. (Students would have to use this technique when they are answering questions during the game.)

• Apply a variety of thinking skills and strategies. (Students would have to use this technique when they are thinking of how to answer a question during the game.)

Participation

• Function in a variety of groupings, using collaborative and cooperative skills and strategies. (In order to effectively play The Invisible Maze, students have to use cooperative skills and strategies throughout the game to ensure that all members of their team complete the “invisible maze.”)

• Relate to others in peaceful, respectful, and non-discriminatory ways. (Students need to work together during this game to help each other answer questions and remember the correct squares in the “invisible maze.” Thus, throughout the game they are required to be respectful of their classmates/teammates and conduct themselves in a peaceful manner.)

C. Description of the game: To play this game, you must create a game board using a bed sheet (see below for details). The game board consists of a grid composed of 32 boxes that you lay on the floor. The object of the game is to get all players across the board in the smallest amount of time as possible. The teacher (or leader of the game) must create an “invisible maze” across the board. The “invisible maze” is a sequence of boxes that leads across the board (the boxes must be linked together, like a chain) (see pages 4 and 5 for examples). All players must follow the correct sequence across the board to win (you can have two teams compete and the fastest team wins, or you could play as a whole class and try to beat your own class record). To play The Invisible Maze, you will need the following materials:

- A twin bed sheet and electrical tape or fabric paint to create the game board

- Paper or a small whiteboard to draw a mini version of the game board with the correct “invisible maze”

- 1 golden ticket per player

- A stopwatch or timer

- A set of questions and/or small activities that pertain to the unit you are teaching (note: you must have at least as many questions/activities as the number of squares in your “invisible maze”)

To make your game board, simply use fabric paint or tape to create a grid of approximately 4x8 boxes for a total of 32 boxes. Once your game board is made, use paper or a small whiteboard to draw a mini version of the board. Then, write numbers in the boxes to choose the pathway for your “invisible maze.” Setting up The Invisible Maze is very easy; you simply spread the sheet (or game board) out on the floor and keep the secret pathway (or “invisible maze”) out of sight of the players.

D. Directions/Rules: Here is a list of possible rules for the game (you can easily change rules to fit your teaching needs, but be sure to make the rules clear for the students and do not change rules as you go):

1) All players must line up one behind the other (the line may curve around the board so that all players can see the board at all times).

2) Player One steps onto one of the six squares in the first row. If s/he chose the first box in the “invisible maze,” the teacher poses that student the question which corresponds with that box. The student must answer the question correctly in order to have another turn. If the student is unsure of the answer, they may use their golden ticket to ask one of their teammates for help. A player may only use their golden ticket once, so once it has been used, they must hand it over to the teacher. If the student answers correctly (with or without the help of the golden ticket) they may continue on and choose another box. If they choose incorrectly, they must go to the back of the line and the next player has a chance. On the board, players can move in all directions except backwards (therefore, they can move west, northwest, north, northeast or east). Players continue on until they choose a wrong box in the “invisible maze” or they answer a question incorrectly. Note: There can only ever be one player on the board at a time.

3) Once Player One has either answered a question incorrectly or chosen a wrong box in the sequence, Player Two steps up and continues to try to uncover “the invisible maze.” Note: Players must pay attention to where their teammates have stepped as the “invisible maze” does not change. Therefore, it would be a waste of their valuable time if players keep stepping on the same wrong boxes. However, there is no rule against helping your teammates choose the right boxes (players may call out, for example, “Go east! The next box is east!”) but they may not help with the questions unless they are asked for help with a golden ticket. If a team is caught cheating (for example, players are calling out answers when it is not their turn, a penalty of 10 seconds will be added to their final time).

4) Once a box in the “invisible maze” has been discovered and a player answers the corresponding question correctly, the next player to step on that box as they follow along the “invisible maze” does not have to answer a question. Questions are only asked until they are answered correctly.

5) Players must continue on until the “invisible maze” has been uncovered and all questions corresponding to the boxes in the “invisible maze” have been answered correctly. Once a player has reached the end of the maze, they stay on that side of the game board and cheer on their teammates. All players must follow along the “invisible maze” until they reach the end without stepping on any wrong boxes.

6) Players are not permitted to leave markers on the correct boxes – all players must remember the correct sequence or listen to the directions of where to go from their teammates.

7) Once all players have followed the “invisible maze” across the board, the teacher stops the timer and records the time. The team with the best time wins, or the class may play as a team to try to beat their own record.

E. Other comments/observations: As you can see from the rules, the game is quite flexible. You can adapt it to any grade level or curriculum simply by changing the questions. Also, as mentioned above, you can change the rules to suit your needs. For example, you can give each student two golden tickets or not use golden tickets at all. Or, you can make a harsher penalty for cheating, etc. Furthermore, if you find that the students have finished the “invisible maze” that you created for them, but there is still class time left, you can put them in groups and get them to create their own “invisible maze” and questions which they can then use to test the other team. Note: Be sure to set a number of squares that the teams can use in their “invisible maze” as it would not be fair, for example, if one team created a maze with 17 steps and the other created one with only 8.

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