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Teaching Guidelines

Distance Education Guidelines
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High School Drama Courses

High School Oral Comm Courses
Recommended Unit Areas
Argumentation
Communication Process
Group Discussion
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Class Activities
The Beauty Pageant
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"Silent Sentences"
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"Who Done It?"
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Organizing For Action
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"Take The Money And Run"
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Life Is A Puzzle
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NASA Moon Trip
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Interpersonal Comm
Interviewing
Mass Communication
Oral Interpretation
Parliamentary Procedure
Public Speaking
Voice and Diction
ASCA Oral Comm Position Statement
Addendum

Arkansas Guidelines

Department of Education Curriculums
Theatre
Communication - One Semester
Communication - Full Year

Oral Communication Units and Activities

LIFE IS A PUZZLE

Unit(s): Group Discussion, Listening, Critical Thinking

Purpose:

Students will learn to use critical thinking skills and listening skills in order to solve riddles.

Objective:

Students will demonstrate critical thinking skills through group problem solving.

Materials:

Riddles

Procedure:

  1. Divide the class into groups of 5 or 6 students.
  2. Directions to be given:
    A. You have 3 problems to solve as a group.
    B. Write your answers to the problems on one sheet.
    C. You should work together to solve the problems - each group member must participate.
    D. You have a limited time to solve these problems.
  3. After the groups have solved the riddles engage the class in a discussion of how they approached the riddles:
    A. Did one person dominate the group?
    B. If so, was that a help or hindrance?
    C. What type of organization was used so that each member felt compelled to participate?
    D. Was there a member who did not participate?
    E. If so, what was done to involve that student?



Riddles

Once upon a time there was a wise king who knew it was time for him to turn over his kingdom to another king. He had no children so he decided to select from the three wisest men in his kingdom. He blindfolded all three of them and told them he had a red pencil and a green pencil. He was going to put either a red or a green mark on the forehead of each of them. When he removed the men's blindfolds he said, "If you can see a red spot on the other two foreheads, raise your right hand." All three of the men raised their right hands. Then the king said, "The man who first raises his hand and tells what color spot is on his forehead will be the next king." One of them slowly raised his hand and said, "My spot is red." He was correct. He was made king.

How did the man know his spot was red?

A man walked into a drugstore and asked for a glass of water. The druggist pulled a gun on him and said, "Stick 'em up!" The man said, "Thank you." He left the drugstore satisfied.

Why did the man do this?

Determine the message:

  1.           G.I.
             c c c

  2.           Stand
                  I

  3.           far

                                                 home

  4. ECNALG

  5. Engage
           ment

  6.    R
    ROAD
       A
       D

  7.    T
       O
       W
       N

  8. Kdi

  9. i   i
    oo

  10. every/right/thing

  11. AGES

  12. Death/Life



KEY TO RIDDLES

All of them had a red spot.

Man had the hiccups.

  1. GI overseas
  2. I understand
  3. Far from home
  4. Backwards glance
  5. Broken engagement
  6. Crossroads
  7. Downtown
  8. Mixed up kid
  9. Circles under the eyes
  10. Right in the middle of everything
  11. Dark Ages
  12. Life after death