How's Your Content Knowledge?

My students arrive in 75 minutes. On the first day of class we begin by with a scavenger hunt as both a means of introduction and a way for me to see how much they "know" about the curriculum they will one day teach. Here are the rules and the questions.

1. Begin by reading the questions and writing in any answers you already know.
2. Walk around the room and find someone to confirm your answers and/or provide answers you do not know. Have that person initial next to the question.
   
3. Remember that one person may not supply more than two answers on your paper.
4. Sit down as soon as your hunt is completed.

FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN . . .

• Define and give you an example of opportunity cost.
• Name the “Father of the Constitution.”
• Name the most highly valued barter item in Colonial Virginia.
• Tell you who Christopher Newport was.
• Name two important figures in the Harlem Renaissance.
• Name the five regions of Virginia.
• Tell you the difference between latitude and longitude.
• Name two things George Washington Carver was famous for.
• Tell you about Werewocomoco.
• Name the five oceans of the world.

• Draw and name the parts of a light wave.
• Name the components of soil.
• Describe the difference between the waxing and waning phases of the moon.
• Tell you the required components and products of photosynthesis.
• Name the eight planets in order from the sun.
• Tell you what a dichotomous key is.
• Explain why it is hotter in the summer than in the winter.
• Name four nonrenewable energy resources.
• Tell you the difference between weathering and erosion.
• Name the five kingdoms of classification.
• Name the six types of simple machines.

How did you do? My students will be moaning and groaning, cheering every so often, and then wondering how they'll ever learn/remember it all. We'll spend the semester thinking about these topics and more, while we explore the best ways to teach them. You can be that books (and I don't mean textbooks) will play some small role here. :)