Guess My Name

Guess My Name
-(Nature Game, Facilitation Technique, Improve Listening and Observation, Enhancing Group Dynamics, )-

This activity is a nature game. It is fun and we can do it in a class room or an open area. Our purpose is to know different kind of animal, plant diversity (or something else if we want to develop and relate this game more : like in social issues - city name, village, tribe,...), so we can always practice environment issue with biology, social, geography with this kind of game.

Needs:
Handkerchief (optional), some game card (we create it)

First, for teachers, we have to make some game card related with our topics (is it about knowing animals? Is it about knowing plant diversity ? - (more advance: is it about local tribe knowledge ; or is it about city/village social knowledge)? This game is very flexible.

Cut a nice picture for the card. You can make it big enough, so the children can see it clearly. This is some example about what things we can do with this card
Animal diversity: deer, jelly fish, pig, worm, shark, sea snake,...
Plant diversity: tomato, chilly, coconut tree, banana tree, other tree,...
Profession: farmer, teacher, ...
Social knowledge: city, village, country name, tribe
Tools : computer, knife, paper map

The game we played needs some participants. We divide kids into 2 groups (each about 3-5 kids). Then we give the cards to them. In round one, one group try to guess what card that the other group have. They can ask about 10 time, which the other groups answer is one of this answer : yes, no, yes-no, or not sure. Not clear answer means that the first group must ask a more clear question

The facilitator only give the first clue like : living creature, profession, country, or more speciall clue like : it can breath (for monkey), or it can be from wood (paper map).

The example for kids that guessing a Banana Tree is like this:
Facilitator: It is a living creature
Q1 : Is it an animal? A1 : No
Q2 : Is it moving? A2 : Yes - No
Q3 : Is it a plant? A3 : Yes
Q4 : Is it have a fruit? A4 : Yes
Q5 : Is it a tropical plant? A5 : Yes
Q6: Is the fruit have a hard skin? A6 : No
Q7: Is their fruit have a green skin? A7 : Yes - No
Q8: Is their fruit consist a lot of water in it? A8 : Not Clear
Q8 : We mean, when we eat it, there is a taste a lot of water in it? A8: Not sure, but Yes
Q9 : Is the fruit flesh is generally red? A9 : No
Q10 : Is the fruit flesh is generally white / yellow? A10 : Yes

Facilitator : Ok, let guess !
Answer : It's a manggo tree (wrong answer). Then the other group show the picture of Banana Tree. 0 - 1 to the answering group!

Some example of animal topic card

For beginner, play with more question limit (maybe 15 question or you can make a time limit (example 5 minutes, rather than 2 minutes). Remember, you can also play this nature game with modifications:
- Play with single player versus groups (as who will guess or answer the question). If the single player play as the "guesser" he/she can stand in opposite direction with the picture in his/her back.
- Play with more topics, like geography, profession, science, and still you can make relation with environmental issues (or not). Just keep the first clue "environmental friendly" ; like "this thing can make you easier doing your environmental proposal" (answer: computer) ; or "this tribe have local knowledges in farming method" (answer : Dayak Tribe in Borneo).
- Even you can play this game with local languange to integrate it with your culture
- Have fun, integrate this environmental education into a sustainable development issue :) !!!