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...

  1. Simmons says the game now begins.
  1. Lift up both hands
  1. Simmons says lift up both hands.
  1. Widen your fingers and tense the muscles.
  1. Simmons says widen your fingers and tense your muscles.
  1. Simmons says close your fingers into a tight fist.
  1. Simmons says open your fingers.
  1. And close tight.
  1. Simmons says close your fingers tight.
  1. Simmons says repeat this exercise again by opening and closing your fingers exactly ten times with me.
  1. Shake them out.
  1. Simmons says shake them out.
  1. Lift up the fingers of one hand.
  1. Simmons says lift up the fingers of one hand.
  1. Simmons says spread the fingers of one hand between the fingers of the other hand.

  1. Simmons says repeat these stretches for all the fingers of your hand.
  1. Now do the same thing with the opposite hand.
  1. Simmons says now do the same thing with the opposite hand.
  1. Simmons says shake out both hands.
  1. Thread your fingers together.
  1. Simmons says thread your fingers together.
  1. Now rub the heels of the palms vigorously.
  1. Simmons says now rub the heels of the palms vigorously.
  1. Stop!
  1. Simmons says stop.
  1. Stretch with your palms out forward.
  1. Simmons says stretch with your palms out forward.
  1. Simmons says hold.
  1. And relax.
  1. Simmons says relax.
  1. Now, use a thumb to rub your palm on the opposite hand.
  1. Simmons says use a thumb to rub your wrist on the opposite arm.
  1. Simmons says congratulations.
  1. Shake my hand.
  1. Simmons says shake my hand.
  1. Simmons says the game is now over.