HIT(2): FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS

["JoAnn B. Hayes 904 935-6297" <HAYESJ@MAIL.FIRN.EDU>]

Subject: HIT(3): FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS

Materials:   One set of 35 cards each of which has one direction on it.
The direction on eachcard interlocks with the other cards so that the
holder of any card must wait for a cue from other players actions before
 he can carry out his directions.

Procedure:  (These directions should be adapted by the teacher to fit the
size group being taught.  If less than a full deck is used the teacher
should
observe the sequential order found in the deck.)

All cards used are to be passed out. The teacher then says the word,
"begin".
The directions on the cards will then dictate how the game progresses.

Directions should be completed in the following order:

1.   When the teacher says "Begin," stand up and say "Good Morning."
2.   When someone says "Good Morning," Clap your hands twice.
3.   When someone claps his hands twice, write your name on the chalkboard.
4.   When someone writes a name on the chalkboard, stand up and turn
around three times and sit down.
S.   When someone stands up, turns around three times and sits down, snap
your fingers twice.
6.   When someone snaps his fingers twice sharpen your pencil.
7.   When someone sharpens his pencil, erase the name on the board.
8.   When someone erases the name on the board, turn off the lights.
9.   When someone turns off the lights, say "Its dark in here."
10.  When someone says, "It's dark in here," turn the lights on.
11.  When someone turns the lights on, stand up and say, "What time is it?"
12.  When someone says, "What time is it?" say, "Who cares?"
13.  When someone says, "Who cares?" go to the board and write the
numbers 1 through 10.
14.  When someone writes the numbers 1 through 10 on the board, skip to
the teacher's desk and back to your seat.
15.  When someone skips to the teacher's desk and back, go to the teacher
and shake hands.
16.  When someone shakes hands with the teacher, stand and count
backwards from 5 to 1.
17.  When someone counts backwards from 5 to 1, say, "Blast off!"
18.  When someone says, "Blast off!" wave your arm and say, "Oo,oo,oo".
19.  When someone waves his arm and says, "Oo, oo, oo," erase
numbers 1 through 5 from the board.
20.  When someone erases numbers 1 through 5 on the board,
jump up and down beside your seat.
21.  When someone jumps up and down, say, "Stop that!"
22.  When someone says, "Stop that!" erase numbers 6 through 10
from the board.
23.  When someone has erased numbers 6 through 10 from the
board, print STALLING on the board.
24.  When someone prints STALLING on the board, stand and
hold both arms straight above your head.
25.  When someone stands and holds his arms above his head,
print WDONEY under STALLING on the board.
26.  When someone prints WDONEY on the board, stand and
crow like a rooster.
27.  When someone crows like a rooster, say, "You're chicken."
28.  When someone says, "You're chicken," erase the letters S T
from the board.
29.  When someone erases the letters S T from the board, go to
the teacher and bow.
30.  When someone bows to the teacher, bark like a dog.
31.  When someone barks like a dog, erase the letters W and Y
from the board.
32.  When someone erases the letters W and Y from the board,
stand and put both hands on your head.
33.  When someone stands and puts both hands on his head, say, "Sit down!"
34.  When someone says, "Sit down!" erase the I N G from the board.
35.  When someone erases the I N G from the board, read aloud
what is left on the board.

JoAnn Hayes
Branford, FL
hayesj@mail.firn.edu

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 Several years ago I worked with a group of students (3-5th grades) on a
series of projects, one of which involved directions.

We started with the old game of trying to give someone directions which
would
enable them to do some standard familiar task -- i.e. putting on a shirt or
a
shoe, while one person gave the directions and the other followed them,
doing
only and exactly what they were told to do.

Then we talked about the making of good instructions, the need to include
every step and put the steps in proper sequence.  We had a series of simple
activities written out on slips of paper, and pairs of students drew an
activity from these and wrote instructions for doing them-- then took turns
with another pair testing the instructions by following the  directions
exactly.  Again, an analysis of things that made directions successful,
things that made them difficult, and ways to make them better.

We developed criteria for good instructions -- in this case mostly for good
instructions for craft type activities.  (All needed items are listed, each
step is clearly stated, all steps are in proper order, a clear idea of the
end product, illustrations which really clarified the steps, etc.)

Then the students went through periodicals which included activities, etc.
and evaluated the instructions given in these published sources.  They were
fastinated and triumphant to see how often these directions were poorly
organized, left out steps, etc.

Because this group had worked on a number of craft-type projects during the
year, making several kinds of puppets, etc.  they chose one project they
really liked and wrote directions for that activity.  After testing and
evaluating their instructions (by peer review) they were published in a
little booklet.

It was a lot of fun, included quite a bit of vocabulary work, reading
skills
and skill in evaluating.

Of course, there is also always the old game of giving students a sheet of
paper which has a long list of instructions, the first of which is "Do
nothing until you have read all the steps." and the last of which is , "Do
not follow any of the steps above."

I have found that for me one of the really challenging things when giving
or
writing instructions is writing (or giving them) well, and that there is
great value in getting confirmation that they are clear and comprehensible
--
by having someone tell me what they heard me say, or how they interpreted
the
written instructions.  After all, the traffic sign "Wait for light" could
keep someone at the intersection all night long.
******************************************************
Once when I was in seventh grade tghe teachers did this with my entire team
- two hundred students.

Pass out these directions on a sheet of paper, and tell the students they
have 15 minutes to complete the activity.

1.  Read all directions carefully first.
2.  Go to the library and get the main headline from today's paper.
3.  Go to the office and get a paperclip.
4.  Gp to Mr. Smith's room and copy what is on the chalkboard on the back
of this sheet.
5.  Write your name on the top of this sheet.
6.  Disregard directions #2-5.  Go to your homeroom and sit in your seat.

It was fun to see how many students figured out the trick!
*******************************************************
One exercise I have heard of that shows the importance of well-written
instructions and following directions has the students write down how to
make
a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or how to tie their shoes.  They then
read
aloud step by step while the teacher does exactly what they say.  It can
have
very funny results.
******************************************************
I don't know if it is still in print, but I have used exercises from a
book by Lloyd Harnishfeger called "Basic Practice in Listening; Games and
Activities".  It was published in 1977 by Love Publishing Co. in Denver,
CO (zip code 80222).  The ISBN no. was 0-89108-069-4.


Thanks again to all who contributed.

JoAnn Hayes,LMS
Branford, FL
hayesj@mail.firn.edu

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