Faculty: Arts. Degree Programme: Medieval and Renaissance Archaeology. Course: Historical Archaeology. Study level: Semester 1, BA. Size of class: 25.
I wanted to make sure that the students understood the importance of getting off to a good start when studying the syllabus, but without being too strict on them. I also wanted to focus on a part of the syllabus which I know students tend to neglect.
The course provides a basic introduction to the sources and knowledge formation of the course, and the students are also introduced to the main features of Denmark’s historical development and material culture from the Viking Age to the Renaissance. This activity was developed to support the latter part of the course objectives.
The teacher produces the game, which consists of about 60 cards. In the game, the students have to match specific years with important historical events, match pictures of key buildings with their locations, match historical periods with special characteristics etc.
The cards can be combined in different ways, but some solutions are better than others. This is to ensure that all the cards can be used.
You should set aside 45 minutes for the exercise and divide the students into small groups. Some groups, but not all, will finish the exercise within the allotted time.
Each group is given a game, and the cards are distributed equally between the players. Any leftover cards are placed on the table and used as a starting point for the game.
There are two ways to play the game:
During the game, the teacher walks round the classroom and facilitates the process if the game gets stuck (especially at first, because there are a lot of cards). The teacher is also the referee in case of any disputes, and points out any mistakes (more or less discreetly) if the cards are matched incorrectly.
The activity serves as an informal and relaxed way to summarise a number of facts. The combination of competition, game and repetition works very well. The game gives everyone the opportunity to be active and play a part. Students often ask to take the game home – even when studying for exams.
The exercise as a wake-up call:
