Partner-Typing Block Buster

Contributed to UEN by Toni Simmons, Highland High School

Goal: Students reinforce the importance of using correct finger placement on the keyboard.

Procedure:

  • Two students arrange themselves at one keyboard. One student provides the left-hand keystrokes while the other student provides the right-hand keystrokes.
  • Any common text may be used.
  • The hard copy that is included as the next page in this file would be suitable for a pre-winter break activity.
  • Backspace or delete is acceptable to correct errors.
  • Verbal coaching between team members is okay, but neither can key in the other’s zone.
  • At the end of the time limit (timer, or length of a song) students determine how many words they keyed.
  • File / Properties / Statistics
  • Students receive award tickets if . . .
  • Their duo keyed the most words
  • Their duo keyed the number of words closest to the lucky numbers
  • (After determining the most words, teacher selects about five additional lucky numbers that are less than that figure.)

Resource: “Santa: Ages of Goodness” by Jerry Johnston. Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah. Wednesday, December 10, 1986. Today section, page C1.

Partner Typing

  1. A left hand and a right hand should be provided by two different people.
  2. Each of you should keep your hand oriented to the correct home row position.
  3. Type the text below without mistakes.
  4. Backspacing to erase errors is okay.
  5. Tickets and points will be awarded for the team who types the most words perfectly, and also to the teams who perfectly type the number of words closest to the secret lucky numbers.
  6. To reveal the exact number of words that your team keyed, choose
    File / Properties / Statistics

During this time of holiday giving, think of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra.

When he was a young boy, Nicholas heard of three sisters whose father could not afford to give each girl a dowry. The sisters drew lots, the loser to sell herself as a slave to earn dowries for the others. Nicholas made a nighttime visit, dropping bags of gold through the window. The coins fell into stockings left by the fire to dry.

During the 12th century, French nuns made similar nighttime visits, leaving fruits and nuts for the children of poor families.

The gift-giving later became blended with other traditions which evolved into the celebrations of today.