Time needed: 10 – 15 min
Why? This is an amazing enjoyable method to force students to use their absorbed knowledge in a very practical way.
When? Any time your class need a more relaxed atmosphere and you want to force your students to practice absorbed knowledge.
How? Prepare one treasure which is connected to the main topic, than plan the treasure hunt in different stations and give on these stations different hints where is the next station with the next hint. This can be in other classrooms, outside in the garden, with other teachers or staff in the school. the first hint for the next station will come from you, you can prepare also to get the hint for the next station with answering several questions or fulfilling several different tasks. If you place hints below something without involving a person, the task should be included to find out the next hint. (like forming a puzzle, or answering special questions and the first letters of the answers is the next hint, or the answer at one question is the next hint). You can divide the class in different smaller groups so everyone will have something to do while the hunt and the first group will be the winner and beside of the treasure will also get some surprise, or you for the treasure hunt as a race in general with just one treasure but different hunting routes and the first group will get the treasure.
Any risks? This could be very time consuming, so as better you prepare the stations, as much more effective is the result and the joy of the hunt. If you place outside hints, consider the weather situation. Place hints at places you can be sure none else will take it away, otherwise the whole hunt will be destroyed, or inform other staff about the hunt to let hints in the different stations. Place hints not to easy, students will lose their interest if they don’t have the chance to search seriously,but also don’t place it too difficult, the same effect will be seen. Students need to get the chance to find the hints, but on the other hand they also need to get forced to search. To prevent that students use to much time and just wasting time, give them also a clear time frame and make it also as a race.
