Game: Creative Definitions

If you listen to NPR’s “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!,” you’ll know about the various games that are played [Credit to Jim and Susie for getting me started listening to this show]. Many of these could be adapted as YCISL creativity activities.

Here is an example of one game from the show [from Wikipedia entry]:

Bluff the Listener
The contestant hears three odd but related news stories read by the panelists. Two of the stories are invented by two panelists, with the actual story being read by the remaining panelist. The listener must determine which one is true and not a product of the panelists’ imaginations. The show uses a sound bite from the actual story (either the newsmaker himself or herself, or a reporter or expert familiar with the story) to reveal the answer.

Perhaps we could conduct this game using sustainability-related news?

Another example, we could get groups of three or more students to come up with definitions for unusual words (English, I would presume – I hope this works) and they would present their definitions – and the actual definition – and an example of its use in a sentence. The other participants would vote on which definition they think is correct.

A 3rd example is to have participants create fake announcements for school or their family or friends (eg, parents caught speeding at school drop-off will get citations and fines from the school). Other participants will try to identify the true announcement.

Or students could create their own games using a similar style. Using sustainability as a theme, perhaps we could use the Fill in the Blank game?