‘Jeopardy!’ arrives at local elementary school

Question: This version of the popular quiz show hosted by Alex Trebek allows students to learn while they ask questions related to their studies.

Answer: What is “Classroom Jeopardy!”

A class of fifth-graders from Daisy Elementary School asked questions about the Civil War, zoo animals, Tennessee and even superheroes during a presentation of the game Tuesday morning.

“Classroom Jeopardy!” is an interactive teaching tool to get students involved in what they are studying, said Jon Cannon, a former high school teacher and member of the Jeopardy! Clue Crew.

“Kids can play ‘Jeopardy!’ just like you see it on TV, only instead of Alex Trebek hosting, the teacher is the host and the questions are all things the kids have been learning about,” he said. “It is a great way to review for tests, to introduce new material or just have fun in the classroom.”

Students from the Soddy-Daisy school divided themselves into three teams and played the game that included answers from subjects they had been studying in their class, such as the Civil War.

Ten-year-olds Brandon Reynolds and Emmy McWilliams, members of the winning team, said they had fun while learning.

“I really liked the game because it tests your brain a lot and it’s fun to play and it’s not really hard, (although) every time you got to the next round it got harder and harder,” Brandon said.

They agreed they enjoyed the teamwork the game required.

“We had to talk to each other for almost every question. If we didn’t have a group and we had to work by ourselves on this, we probably wouldn’t do as good because it would be harder,” Brandon said.

The Jeopardy! Clue Crew traveled to Chattanooga and will visit another elementary school in Knoxville today to promote higher education in schools.

Mr. Cannon said they worked with WTVC NewsChannel 9, which contacted Daisy Elementary School to participate in the program.

School principal Kirk Shrum said the game will help teachers and students know where they are academically.

“With the traditional testing, you find out what you made a day or two later ... this is a way of giving instant feedback and for a teacher to know where his or her students are functioning and make on-the-spot instructional decisions based on what he or she discovers,” he said.

After the presentation, WTVC and the Jeopardy! Clue Crew donated the “Classroom Jeopardy!” game to the school. Mr. Shrum said he hopes the game will be used in other classrooms.

FAST FACTS

“Classroom Jeopardy!” is an electronic version of the quiz show that can be played on a classroom TV.

* Educators can tailor the game to suit their curriculum.

* Players “buzz in” on wireless remotes that work anywhere in the classroom or across the school auditorium.

* Players choose categories and clues. The game notes responses as “Correct” or “Incorrect.”

* The game scores update automatically on an illuminated electronic scoreboard.

Source: www.classroomjeopardy.com