Supplies needed:

A research paper topic

Chalkboard or whiteboard

A class full of willing participants

Description:

This is a game that uses positive reinforcement to make students generate a list of keywords surrounding a topic that can then be used in a library database.

Start this activity by describing a particular topic you as the instructor would want to research.  Describe what you already know about the topic and what particularly interests you about it.  Then invite students to give their opinion (if they have one) regarding it.

Now, divide the class into two teams.  Tell them they are going to compete against each other for the most number of keywords they can imagine regarding this topic.  (This is also a great way to see if they were awake during the discussion part of the class!)  I usually give students 5 – 8 minutes at the white board.  Sometimes I split the class up by gender; ladies write their words on one side of the board and the men write on the other. (I never do the writing myself – if at all possible, make them write on the board.)  When the time is up we count up the number of keywords and the team that has the most gets to play with Play-Doh for the rest of the class.

I will leave the keywords on the board for the rest of my presentation and use them in other activities such as webbing and topic narrowing.

Time needed in class:  20 - 25 minutes

Learning Outcomes:  addresses Information Literacy Standard #1, 2