CBC Archives

Ask students to think about various games with which they are familiar and enjoy. Have them discuss the general approach to games, such as the inclusion of various pieces of important information, rewards for making good decisions, penalties for poor decisions, the use of question cards, and the general instructions for a basic game. They should consider the features of a game that make it competitive and interesting.

Direct students to the topic Jean Chrétien: From Pool Hall to Parliament Hill on the CBC Radio and Television Archives Web site. Divide the class into eight groups and assign each group one clip for focused attention and study. Remind students to review the Additional Clips, The Story, Did You Know? and Links sections for content. Each group will write 5 to 10 questions with answers that focus on the challenges and rewards in Jean Chrétien's career. Students should include some questions that require very simple one-word answers, such as factual questions about who, what, when, and where, and some in-depth questions about how and why. Provide students with the download sheet Playing to Win to create a separate game card for each question.

As a class, come to a consensus about the rules and instructions for the game. The class should consider the following questions:

Do we need a moderator?

How do players use the game cards?

Is the game competitive? If yes, how does a player win?

How do players get and record points?

How many members on each team? How are teams selected?
Once you have reached consensus, create the game board.

Play the game as a class. Following the game, ask students what new things they learned about Chrétien, what they found most interesting about him, whether there is still anything they would like to learn, and so on.

Students can reproduce the game and give a copy to each class in the school. Students may want to create new game cards for a school-wide competition focused on the life and times of the former prime minister.