Earlier this year and in previous years, my class has participated in Mystery Hangouts where we connect virtually with another class in the US, and we try to guess what state they're in based on clues. We LOVE this game, but it was honestly getting a little embarrassing when my kids weren't even sure of the state names. So we're taking a little hiatus from hangouts until we have a better handle on US geography. :)
I was looking for a way to fit geography in during downtimes, as a bell ringer, or whenever we had a quick minute to work on something as a class rather than trying to create a stand-alone unit.
Along with adding in some more social studies, I'm also trying to bring back the fun to fifth grade this year! We're spending more time working on logic puzzles, games with directions, and even creative art projects.
Out of these two goals came...ONE GUESS!
No, you don't have to guess. That's the name of the game! One Guess.
(I'm tired...not sure if that's funny or it's just me.)
We tested this game out today, and the kids went absolutely crazy for it. I was a little worried that the answer to the mystery state would be so obvious it would be boring, but they are totally into it, and not one of them is ready to submit a guess yet. There were kids reading, working, kids doing jumping jacks in the corner, and some humming the tune to the Star Spangled Banner. This game gets them up and moving, thinking critically, and learning about geography all in one!
How to Play:
A letter to students explains that the teacher created a packet of work on a state in the United States, but that the name of the state was missing from the packet! (This actually sounds like something I would do.) The object of the game is to read through the information, work through the challenges, and decide on which state you'll submit as your "One Guess".
(I love when the kids ask me if they should submit and answer and I lower my voice saying, "Are you sure? You only have ONE GUESS." Totally builds the suspense.)
The entire game is stored either on a bulletin board, a whiteboard, or in file folders where kids can access it at anytime. You can play the game any way you like, but I loved doing an official launch when all kids were playing at once, and from now on they'll work on it during morning work and downtime. They have to work through the challenges and submit an answer by Friday.
On Friday, I'll draw names from the submitted answers one at a time until I select one with a correct guess. That student is the winner! I haven't decided what the prize will be yet. An all-expenses paid trip to North Dakota maybe? 😂
I'm thinking I'll create refill packs for other states, maybe some famous people...any other ideas? I may just leave this giant board game up all year!
You can find this One Guess game and future games here. Be sure to click the green "follow me" button in my profile for updates when new games are uploaded!re.
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