The Check
Activity
The students, in groups of three (or four), are assigned
to the following roles:
A)
Leader / Director B) Time Keeper
C) Recorder D) Reporter
1. The groups
are informed that they will receive a grade for this exercise and total group
participation is a large part of the grade
2. The
envelopes, containing the relevant data are distributed to the group leaders
with the instructions that they are to follow directions
and handle the data as directed (only they will remove checks from the
envelope).
3. One piece of data (one check) is removed from the
envelope. Much of the information that can be gleaned from the check should be discussed.
4. The groups
are told that they are to remove three
additional checks (four total, at this
time) and compose a scenario (a hypothesis)
that “ties together” all four bits of data.
Ten minutes will be allowed for this.
5. After the
time has expired, the groups are then told to remove three more checks (seven
total, at this time) and include all available
data in their new/revised story. At
this time, they have eight minutes to incorporate their data into their story. Encourage the recorder to keep taking good, accurate notes.
6. One last
time, instruct the group to remove their four
final bits of data or four more checks (eleven total). This will complete the data that the group
will use to finish the story they will report to the class. The groups
now have ten minutes to get all the details arranged.
7. When time has
expired, bring the class to order and ask for volunteers to report their
scenarios. Have the other groups listen closely for information that they might
not as yet have “discovered”.