Library Scavenger Hunt 2016

It is already a tradition in The Beacon Academy for grade nine students to play the Scavenger Hunt. I started this out with our Comparative Religions (CRe) teacher three years ago. She saw the need to introduce students to serious research in a fun and engaging manner. When she broached the idea to me, I said YES! This is a teacher-librarian collaboration opportunity. I learn from her. She learns from me. Our students learn too. We all learn together.

So, this year, a month and half after the academic year opened, CRe teacher and I scheduled the Scavenger Hunt. My staff helped prepare the handouts, the puzzles and the technology needed for the activity. In previous years, the main objective of the game was to finish the hunt and the puzzle. This year, I emphasized the importance of finishing a product as well as going through a process. These two ideas, product and process, are valuable in academic research and scholarly endeavors. Hmm... thinking about it, these are valuable life lessons.

Completing a product or a task is one thing. Knowing how it was completed and accomplished is another. The former is concerned with competence. The later is about smarts. Both require stamina, perseverance and drive. All these learning skills happen in the classroom and outside its four walls. The library, with programs and services such as this, becomes an extension of the classroom. Bless the CRe teacher who recognizes this role of the library.

 How did the students take on the Scavenger Hunt? They had fun. They used their skills. They panicked. They finished the task and they felt good about themselves.

We wrapped up the game by asking them things they learned and discovered about research, the library and the challenges of working in a group. I felt confident too, teaching along side our CRe teacher. It unburdens me in so many ways. Now how do we assess the students' learning? The skills covered in the Scavenger Hunt appear in their tasks and project in their CRe lessons. I await feedback from my teaching partner, the CRe teacher.