Watergate Bowl

Yesterday in my journalism class we played Watergate Bowl.

It is a game I made up to see how much my student's understand the Watergate Scandal (Nixon, break-in, cover-up, etc.)

I love game shows, so I tried to make it cool with a bowl with questions and theme music and exciting prizes (Peeps and gum). Some of the kids got into it and some of the kids, well....

There was one girl who sat there with her arms folded and this look on her face that said, "This is the dumbest thing ever." Even at 39, I admit to being intimidated and having those "high school moments" where I know that I'm just too nerdy to be talking to these kids. I showed that nervousness because I kept messing up and saying they answered the question wrong when they actually answered correctly. They really liked that - I have found kids love it when you show you're human. And I am very human.

But there are also neat things. Like the kids who are just racking their brains to get the right answer and then give a little "Yes!" when they get it. And the boy who tried to trick me by making up his own question instead of reading the one off the paper...and then he actually pulled the made up question on his next turn. We laughed and laughed, together.

I think some of them got a kick out of it. They all came to claim their prize afterwards (except the crossed-arm girl, she took off lickety split), so at least I can say the prizes were good.

And I think they'll all remember that Watergate was about Nixon, who was a Republican, and bugging an office and some tapes.