Nuts and Bolts of Big6 -- The Game.

These days, everyone is talking about "information literacy." Along with the rapid deployment of technology, came a glut of information. Information in and of itself, has no meaning; but applied properly and in context, it is one of the most powerful tools of humankind. The problem is, how can we help students learn to separate the "wheat from the chaf" and make good decisions about information. This is the crux of information literacy.

This game is based on a concept called The Big6^tm which was developed by developed by Mike Eisenberg and Bob Berkowitz. The Big6^tm guides students through the process of information problem-solving and along the way provides a basic framework for teaching and promoting information literacy. By following six simple steps, students are provided with a tried and true method that enables them to answer a question, complete an assignment, or create a unique product of some sort. (Information problem solving is an iterative process, so the steps themselves are not necessarily always completed sequentially or in a single pass.) Would you like more information about the Nuts and Bolts of Big6^tm website?

The game is designed for fifth and sixth graders who have already received some instruction in the Big6^tm; however, it is possible that other grade levels may find the game useful and fun. For example, foreign language teachers may find the game a pleasant diversion for students and for this reason, we are translating the parts that students use into Spanish and French. The game is online and free and everything is designed so that interested teachers and librarians can download the game parts except for the playing pieces and the die. note: For more information about the instructional intent and design of the game, see About this Game. Continue scrolling to see the rules and the game materials.

The Rules.
The game is designed for 2 to 6 players and can be played in teams. Play begins with all of the players' pieces in START. To determine who goes first, each player rolls the die. Highest roll goes first. The player with the lowest roll keeps score. Play moves clockwise (to the player's left).

To begin playing, each player must answer a Task Definition card correctly. The player to the right of current player reads the questions, or someone can be designated as the card reader.
If the player answers the question correctly, they roll the die and move that number of spaces clockwise on the OUTER path of the board. For each correct answer the player is awarded the number of points on that question card. Scorekeeper enters score in correct category on the scorecard.
If the player does not answer the question correctly, he/she does not roll the die or move his bolt. Player must wait until next turn to try again Play continues counter-clockwise (to the left of the player).
Players can win or lose points by landing on special spaces printed on the board. Points are added or subtracted from the appropriate category on the scorecard.
When player completes the first lap around the board on the outer path, the nut is added to the bolt. Play continues by moving game piece around the INSIDE path.
The game can be played in different ways which will affect how the game is won:
1. The first player to go around the outer loop and then the inner loop can move into the Assignment Completed square and win the game. This method may not reward the person with the highest score.
  
  or
2. Players can play for a designated length of time. When the time is up, the player with the highest score wins. This may provide a fairer assessment of player's knowledge of the Big6^tm.

note: see downloadable parts for rules in Spanish.

Downloadable Parts.
This game is made so that all of the paper parts can be downloaded including the gameboard, the playing cards, the scorecards, and the cheat sheets. You will have to make your own playing pieces or buy them (nuts and bolts or whatever). Wanna see the sample game cards or the sample scorecard? Wanna see other educational games created in Bernie Dodge's ET670 course at San Diego State University? If so, check out the Cardboard Cognition Table of Contents.

Gameboard
6 bolts, each painted a different color
6 nuts, painted to match the bolts
1 six-sided die (A spinning wheel can be used in place of the die.)
1 laminated scorecard for each player
1 dry erase marker or pencil

cards

skills cheat sheet
game rules

artist's rendition

Are you ready to give it a shot? The following parts can be downloaded and printed on your printer. These files are Microsoft Word documents. Feel free to edit the parts or the game to suit your needs. note: Make sure that you follow the printing instructions provided with each game component otherwise the game may not print properly. In general, the page setup for printing uses 1/2 inch margins which are smaller margins than the default 1 inch.

the gameboard (takes you to a page that provides assembly instructions along with the 6 separate sheets needed to make the board)
the game rules in English or game rules in Spanish (prints 2 sets to a page, use a 1" top margin and 1/2" margins for the bottom and sides on Page Setup)
the playing cards (prints 6 cards to a page. Color the title [see sample game cards], then cut them.)
the scorecards in English or the scorecards in Spanish (prints 2 to a page, you'll need one for each player.)
the skills cheat sheets (prints 2 to a page)

note: to make your game parts stronger, cover them with self-adhesive clear vinyl. Please feel free to contact me if you have any problems, questions, or suggestions about this game. This game is still in the early testing stages, so your help would be greatly appreciated. I would also appreciate some additional playing cards if anyone wants to do that for a class assignment! If you edit the game or use it in any other interesting ways, please share.