Class Reaping and Training: Let the Games Begin!

My students had a lot of fun participating in a mock reaping for each district in class based on the popular novel by Suzanne Collins.  (See the latest images in volume 2 HERE and additional visual aides of materials and the training sessions on my school web page here.)

The reaping slips.

Because I wanted 100% of the students to participate and feel involved in the activity, after we reaped the tributes for each district the remaining students drew for jobs related to the Games and training. For example, each tribute (we only had 12 - one from each district) was assigned a Mentor, Escort, and Stylist. Each class period also had a team of Gamemakers. One of my larger classes also had Avoxes, who were assigned various duties (such as designing, printing, cutting, and distributing the Panem cash).

One of my favorite things about the lesson was watching the groups get together to decide a "persona" for their tribute, then executing the right slogan, marketing materials, wardrobe, token, and practice sessions. The Gamemakers also came up with creative stations, such as the Cornucopia sprint where tributes had to hurdle buckets, hop through hoops, then gather essential supplies in a backpack as quickly as they can and race through the obstacles to the finish. The back-and-forth debate between students about what they should or shouldn't do and why was critical thinking at its best.

The students designed everything themselves, including the cash they used to sponsor tributes. The Mentors were then able to purchase "gifts" to be delivered to the tributes during their mock training sessions. (Though this could be done during a mock Games.)

Handouts customized for each position.

To make the role-play assignment more meaningful and engaging for every single student (and to hold them accountable), I had a series of questions and list of duties for every position (including tributes). Their grades depended on how well they fulfilled their job duties.  You can find the complete 40-page packet, which includes detailed teacher-instructions, handouts for every job, my original "Class Reaping" activity and an additional reaping activity incorporating several districts and positions, and images and examples of the materials we used, in my web store as a stand-alone purchase OR on my Hunger Games CD. It is not available in the digital download because of size restrictions. However, the original Class Reaping activity is still included.

This is a great time-saver for those who would love to have students participate, but don't want to spend hours preparing. It's also an excellent student-centered, student-led, collaborative activity.

Additional materials used (to see more, click here):

Students posted marketing materials for their tributes on the board (and all over the classroom & school) to gain sponsors.

Students then decided who to give their avox-created Panem cash to (in the appropriate tribute envelope):

Stylists made tribute tokens using their own materials or optional beading supplies I provided:

Hint: The equal sign can pose as an 11 if you run low on ones!

Mentors used the cash received from sponsors to purchase gifts for the tributes 

(though some mentors may have held on to some of the gifts themselves...)

Fireballs (used to "burn" your opponents) were made with Tootsie-Pops and colored paper: