The Old Man & The Sea – Trivia
On Friday, I wanted to liven up the class with some sort of competitive game, so I put this trivia game together in the morning. In case you’re adverse to reading, here is The Old Man & The Sea Trivia Game [here]. I grabbed a few things on several sites as well as came up with a few questions on my own. Feel free to take it, share it, add a few questions, point out any errors, or play the trivia game… The students loved it, and it really brought out their competitive side. I split them in teams of four, and they went at it. The main objective was simple – collaboratively be able to display understanding of the book they had just completed. Today, they will get their essay assignment [here], and we will also watch the T.V. movie starring Anthony Quinn [here].
Overall, the majority of the students enjoyed the novel. It was above their grade level (7), but we had plenty of dialogue to break down the conflicts, inner struggles, themes, and overall meaning. We will continue to gain understanding through our essay assignment, and then we will finish the 6th book of the year (Of Mice & Men). I am very proud of my students for completing 6 books during the school year. I try to have trivia for all the books we read because it’s a fun way to display/recall knowledge…
Book List:
1st Quarter: Monster by Walter Dean Myers
2nd Quarter: The Giver by Lois Lowry
3rd Quarter: The Pearl by John Steinbeck & The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
4th Quarter: The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway & Of Mice & Men by John Steinbeck
@SyeWorks 
I love Monster and The Giver, outstanding books both. Giver is one of my all time favorite books to teach right up there with The Outsiders. I didn’t read Of Mice and Men until sophomore year, I think it’s required reading at that level at most districts in my state.
Strangely I’ve never read The Pearl or The Time Machine, maybe I should.
Glad you’re students enjoyed Old Man and the Sea,, I don’t think I could teach it even if I was required to, I really really really disliked that book when I read it in school, it just bored me to tears. Wonder if I need to give it a fresh look. Love the idea of the trivia game to go with it!
Glad you stopped by. I love the Outsiders, but the 8th Grade teacher uses that book. The Pearl is a good one with a good message about greed. I wouldn’t recommend The Time Machine unless you’re teaching high school. The vocabulary was extremely difficult, but I used it as an introduction/enrichment for my Back To The Future Unit. I believe it’s one of the first sci-fi books. That being said, I had to use a lot of supplemental resources to move the reading along.
Yes, Old Man & The Sea can be a rather tedious read. I chose it for the 4th Quarter because of it’s simplicity though. The theme(s) in the book are very relatable to students this age, so I played that angle. I’m so glad I did the trivia for this book.