Cooperative Garfield – Changing the Classroom Environment

All too often I observe classes in which students are instructed to silently interact only with their assigned computers and any communication with other students or movement around the room is not allowed.

This past Halloween, I added a new game to my list of seasonal games: Garfield’s Scary Scavenger Hunt. Personally, when I played the game, I thought that Garfield walked too slowly and that the game took too much time to play. However, I decided to let my students have an attempt at it.

Immediately, it was a success with the second grade students; then it trickled down into the first grade and has now become a favorite of the kindergarten students. The game is still played even though Halloween is long since over, and when students are given a few minutes of “free choice,” at least half of the class is working on Garfield.

I admit that Garfield’s Scary Scavenger Hunt is not a very educational game. Although, you could claim that it promotes spatial awareness, allows for the practice of reading skills, requires an eye for detail, involves the use of logic, and lets students observe cause and effect situations.

Most prominently, this game has transformed the classroom into one in which the students work cooperatively. If one student does not know how to do something, an “expert” is always willing to help. Some students find this to be an opportunity to really shine because they can provide assistance along and gain a feeling of importance. Best ways to beat the game or how to overcome the obstacles generate discussion. Behavioral problems have disappeared, unless students getting out of their seats to help each other and a little extra noise can be counted as problems.

As a teacher, this is how I want my classroom to operate on a daily basis: students are able to work independently, be challenged, and step in as experts when possible in a student-centered environment.  If only Garfield was more educational…

P.S.

If one Garfield is not enough, there is a sequel to the game: Garfield's Scavenger Hunt: Donuts of Doom 2.