I base the concept of this educational tool on 3 premises; {1} competition {2}allowing students to improve their classroom grade by earning bonus points {3} students understanding that learning current events is a required part of your class. The following describes how I accomplish those 3 goals.

When do we play the CHALLENGE?
I recommend you play the Challenge on Fridays. The toughest day of the week to motivate students. No problem, your students will be self-motivated. It also works well to keep the news current as possible and give the students time to prepare.

Do you play with teams or individuals?
Both. On every question asked in class, every student has the opportunity to answer it and get points added to his/her individual score. To get more students involved and increase competition, we play row vrs. row. Only one person in each row has an opportunity to answer each question. Later on I describe a total team method I sometimes use.

What is used for the question board?
I put the entire question board on the chalkboard before class. Across the top of the board, I put all the categories for the day. Under each category, I put the point values; 10, 20, 40, 80, and 100, in a grid type form (see diagram #3). As each class answer a question, I have the scorekeeper put a “X” by the point value (the next class erases it) to indicate it has been used and it allows me to use the board again for the next class.

Who keeps track of the individual’s and row’s score?
At the beginning of the hour, we randomly select a scorekeeper and that person gets 100 Challenge points for doing the job that day. He/She may or may not be allowed to answer questions and gets the row’s bonus points if the row they sit in wins, which will be described later. The scorekeeper marks the question on the board as it is asked and keeps track of each row’s score. I also designate one person in each row to keep the rows individual’s score.

How is the game played?
We start with the first question on the board. I ask the question and the first person to, “clap their hands”, gets the first chance at answering the question. If the teacher answers “correct”, the individual is credited, the scorekeeper gives the row the points, and the correct answerer gets to pick the next question, but, the whole class again gets to answer it. We give the person 15 seconds to answer the question. If the student can’t come up with the correct answer, any other student, excluding the people in her/his row, may clap and answer the question after the teacher says “incorrect”.
We subtract “10 points” (regardless the value of the question) if a question is answered incorrectly. I think it is important to only subtract a minimal 10 points from their score so not to discourage students from participating.
Each row will get a shot at answering the question if they want it. If no one answers the question correct, the teacher simply choose the next question on the board and the game goes on.

When is the game over?
We usually play until the board is used up or there are about 5 minutes to go in class period, leaving enough time to record the scores.
Are all the question treated the same no matter the point value?
No! This is one way we keep more students involved. If the question is a 80 or 100 pointer, all the members of the row have a chance to assist the person who clapped answer the question. 10’s, 20’s, 40’s, all must be answered without discussing it.

Is there a limit on how points an individual or row can score in a day?
Yes and I think it is very important to put such a limit on the individual for the sake of getting more involved. We do not allow any one person from getting more than 500 points in any one day. When they reach that point, they come up and help me out. That puts more pressure on their row to be prepared and not just rely on one person. We put no limit on the row’s score.

Are students allowed to bring notes from the paper to class?
Yes, in fact I encourage it to help students with shorter memories to compete.

What does a row get for winning?
We have two different rules on this. If a row wins, and every person in the row has answered correctly a question, I add 100 points on to each person in that row’s score for the day. If the row wins, but not all the row’s players scored, each person adds 50 points to their individual score.

How are students points kept track of?
Since the points are accumulative for the the 9 week period, you must have a system for recording scores each week. I make charts (see diagram#1) and use a magic marker to record the score each week. When they reach 1000 pts., they go on to our 1000 chart (Diagram #2), and at 2000 pts., they’re on the prestigious 2000 chart.

How are Challenge points translated into bonus points?
This will have to be adjusted to your grading system but it’s critical to the purpose of the game to tie it into their grade. I use the total point system and this is how I do it. For the first 1000 points a student scores in a quarter, I give the student a point on their grade for each 100 points they score. For the second 1000 points scored, I give them a bonus point for every 200 Challenge points score. The third 1000 points earned is 1 bonus point for every 300 points. (Example: A student scores 3000 points at the end of the quarter, they get 18 bonus points (10 for the first 1000, 5 for the second 1000, and 3 for the last 1000) The reason for the descending values is important to continue involvement without domination. People can not play anymore that quarter when they reach 3000 points.

How else does playing the Challenge impact their grade?
It is very important my students know this fact at the beginning of the year. I will be mailing you a current events test of 100-150 questions at the end of the first semester and at the end of the year. I combine each of those two tests scores (on a year long course) together, and that grade is averaged with the other 4 quarters score to give them their final grade for the year. I justify this with parents, principals, students, etc. like this. We spend 1 day out of 5 days on current events so I reason it should count as one-fifth of their grade. Students have to understand that from the beginning so they know Challenge days are not just fun or bonus points but they will some day be tested on it. The grade plus the bonus points insures involvement.

Do you give review sheets for the final tests?
I do not. Giving the tests with no review rewards the students who have been actively involved in reading the newspaper and getting involved with the game. But I do than give a review sheet and allow students to retake the test and average the two scores.

Do you use any other ways to play the game?
About once a quarter I play an individual game. I write out the answers and give each individuals a copy of the questions (answers whited out and extras assigned point values) and each student picks a question they think they can answer receiving the points if they get it right. The row that ends up with the most points gets the team bonus at the end.