Simmons Says Block Buster
Contributed to UEN by Toni Simmons, Highland High School
Goal: Make it fun to perform “finger gymnastics” to reinforce good keyboarding health.
Resources:
Century 21 Keyboarding Information Processing, South-Western Educational Publishing, 1997. Appendix B, pages A9-10.
Century 21 Computer Applications & Keyboarding: Seventh Edition. South-Western Publishing, 2002. Resources, pages R34-R36.
Procedure:
- Teacher invites all willing students to assemble in the front of the room.
- Teacher warns students to reserve their trust for the time being since the teacher will do his/her best to fool them!
- Teacher replaces the traditional “Simon Says” with his/her own last name. (My last name happens to be Simmons, and it catches them off guard but guarantees a smile!)
- Students should take no action or make a change unless the command is preceded with “Simmons Says . . .”
- Teacher physically performs his/her own commands, and sometimes models the wrong action as a way to eliminate students.
- Each student who remains standing at the end of the game receives an award ticket.
Simmons says...
- Simmons says the game now begins.
- Lift up both hands
- Simmons says lift up both hands.
- Widen your fingers and tense the muscles.
- Simmons says widen your fingers and tense your muscles.
- Simmons says close your fingers into a tight fist.
- Simmons says open your fingers.
- And close tight.
- Simmons says close your fingers tight.
- Simmons says repeat this exercise again by opening and closing your fingers exactly ten times with me.
- Shake them out.
- Simmons says shake them out.
- Lift up the fingers of one hand.
- Simmons says lift up the fingers of one hand.
- Simmons says spread the fingers of one hand between the fingers of the other hand.
- Simmons says repeat these stretches for all the fingers of your hand.
- Now do the same thing with the opposite hand.
- Simmons says now do the same thing with the opposite hand.
- Simmons says shake out both hands.
- Thread your fingers together.
- Simmons says thread your fingers together.
- Now rub the heels of the palms vigorously.
- Simmons says now rub the heels of the palms vigorously.
- Stop!
- Simmons says stop.
- Stretch with your palms out forward.
- Simmons says stretch with your palms out forward.
- Simmons says hold.
- And relax.
- Simmons says relax.
- Now, use a thumb to rub your palm on the opposite hand.
- Simmons says use a thumb to rub your wrist on the opposite arm.
- Simmons says congratulations.
- Shake my hand.
- Simmons says shake my hand.
- Simmons says the game is now over.