Treasure Hunt Game

This game familiarizes students with spreadsheets and cell references. It is generally played with two players or two teams, and can be played on the computer or on printouts from a spreadsheet which show grid lines and column and row references. If the game is played on spreadsheets, students also gain skills in resizing columns, building arrays, and using formatting options.

Materials	Transparency masters of rules and spreadsheet Paper spreadsheet grids
Files to Use Download Info/Instructions	array.doc (basics-building arrays) gridport.doc (blank spreadsheet grids)

 

Classroom Discussion and Activities

Computer Lab Activities

Classroom Discussion and Activities

1. Determine how many students are familiar with the game. This game searches for underwater treasure. Explain to students that treasure hunters use sonar to locate items underwater. Sonar gives off different sounds when it deflects off objects. Since most underwater treasure involves ship wrecks, there are often small objects scattered around the main treasure. When the sonar hits these objects you know you are getting close to the really big item. 
2. Build a playing grid on the overhead by making a transparency of gridport.doc. A recorder "hides" the treasure, which is described below. For the first game, students will be the treasure hunter and the teacher will be the recorder. Have another game board prepared for your use after you've demonstrated how to hide the treasure. Students record their search results on spreadsheet grid paper. (See gridport.doc.)
3. Explain that columns are labeled with letters and rows with numbers. Spreadsheets use letters, called alpha, to label columns. Rows are labeled with numbers. Cell references are read column first, then row. Thus, the first cell in the upper left of the spreadsheet is read "A1."
4. Determine shapes of treasure

• Treasure is classified by the number of marks used to represent the item. The marks represent the length of the object and must be in adjacent cells either horizontal or vertical. Each mark is worth 1 point.

 

• Marks may be either a symbol in the cell or a colored cell.

 

• (See array.doc) The simple steps include:

A) Determine the number of cells each treasure object occupies.

Number of Cells Treasure (suggested objects)

B) Decide on the number of treasure items.

The teacher or class decides on the number and type of treasure. Although you may change the configuration, the following is a recommended pattern. Both players must know how many ships of each type are on the spreadsheet.

The example below shows what the layout of the spreadsheet would look like with different types of treasure. Again, the number of cells indicate what type of treasure (e.g., 5 cells indicate that it's an ocean liner).

 

Explain recorder's responses to treasure hunter's guesses

Explain treasure hunter's recordkeeping marks. The treasure hunter record the results with:

The recorder may also want to record the same marks on their spreadsheet.

Play options:

In Classroom (on overhead and graph paper, with computer and graph paper):

 

Class against teacher

 

Student against student

 

In Lab:

 

Student against student

 

Tournament

 

Computer Lab Activities

Build playing grid

1. Decide on the grid dimensions and keep it constant for all beginning games, e.g., columns A-M and rows 1-15. To work with a larger board you can resize the rows and columns or select to screen at 75% of actual size. See array.doc.
2. Mark treasure using X's or colored cells.
3. Play the game.

• Both players have spreadsheets. The treasure hunter has a blank spreadsheet. The recorder has one marked with correct number of ships. The treasure hunter calls out a cell reference. The cell reference must be called out in correct format: column letter, row number. The recorder must call out the results of the strike. The treasure hunter records the result using the code on his/her spreadsheet. The winner is the one who has the most points in the pre-set time frame.

• You can set up a point system but the easiest is to give every hit a single point value. After 5-10 minutes the person with the most points wins. This allows you to play in a computer lab. You can have a winner from the teams and an overall winner.