Survivor Maktaba: The Information Game©
An interactive exploration of library reference skills
presented at EncycloMedia XXIV, September 28,
2004, by
Kristi Hazelrigg, LMS at Parkview Elementary, Mid-Del Public Schools, and
Terri Street, LMS at Longfellow Middle School, Norman Public Schools
Survivor Maktaba (mahk tah' bah) is Swahili for "library" and is the brainchild of my sister, Kristi Hazelrigg, a second-year library media specialist with Mid-Del Public Schools. Last spring she wanted a fun way to assess her students’ knowledge of the basic print reference tools: dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, and atlas. She and I collaborated to create this interactive information skills game inspired by the popular reality television series.
Each Challenge webpage has a link to download the handouts for that task. You are welcome to download and use these activities as is or adapt them to fit your needs. Please remember that these are copyrighted materials and may not be sold or published in any form without the permission of the authors. We welcome your comments, suggestions, or questions and would appreciate hearing from you about your experience with using these materials. Please contact either of us through these links:
There are four challenges in the game, each of which can be completed in a single class period of 30–40 minutes. Warning! These are not quiet activities. Every challenge has a physical component that engages students in competition, and noise is sure to follow!
Visit each Challenge webpage to view the details and photographs of that particular challenge and download or print the instructions and student handouts used in the third–sixth grade version of the game. The tasks are geared toward our particular library collections, so check to be sure that your library has the resources necessary for the students to succeed and adjust the tasks as needed.
Classroom teachers should assist in dividing the group into four heterogenous tribes. When explaining each challenge, be sure students know that the physical task is a relay in which they must each take a turn. Encourage them to decide the playing order before they begin the challenge.
3rd Grade PASS Skills AddressedLanguage Arts
Science
Social Studies
Physical Education (Large Motor Skill Development)
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Photographs
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6th Grade PASS Skills AddressedLanguage Arts
Visual Literacy
Social Studies
Information Literacy
Physical Education
Social Skills
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GENERAL PREPARATION
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Decorate LMC with tiki hut, "campfire,” signs, tiki torches, palm trees, or other items
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Create "SURVIVOR MAKTABA" sign. You may download our version of the Survivor sign if you wish.
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Gather materials for students to create tribal signs, or create signs for them. You may download our tribal signs here, if you prefer: Dhukuru, Jabari, Sodawi, and Wanguvu.
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Collect tikis/tokens, prizes for weekly winning teams
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Create or edit existing challenges, one per lesson
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Gather materials for challenges
POSSIBLE TRIBAL NAMES:
All these names are Swahili, in keeping with the game title. Bold print
words are those we used and are linked to a tribal logo for that word.
| washinda = winners | jabari = proud | sodawi = proud |
| juujuu = proud | wazisha = think over carefully | erevu = smart |
| wekevu = power of intelligence | wangavu = intelligence | makini = intelligence |
| dhukuru = think | tayari = ready | kitabu = book |
| msomi = learned person | wasoma = readers | chumu = good luck |
| sudi = good luck | mtaala = learning | funda = learn |
| jifunza – learn | bora – best | ubora = best quality |
| mashujaa = champions |
