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Tarzan Classroom Games

The story of Tarzan entrances children with its adventure and exotic nature, but there are several valuable lessons to be learned from the story as well. Treating different people as equals, learning to cope in a strange environment, making the best of what you have and learning how to communicate with animals are just a few. You can help students explore these ideas using games and role-playing activities.
  1. Communication Station

    • The child who is an ant for this activity will learn to ask broad questions and then move toward more specific questions until she arrives at her answer. This improves reasoning skills.

      In the Disney version of the story, Jane was a scientist who had to draw conclusions based on her observations. Have the children pick flashcards from a pile without looking at them, then place the flashcards they chose on their heads. Have them ask their fellow students questions about their cards. For instance, if one child's word is "ant," she would be asking questions like, "Am I an animal?", "How many legs do I have?", "What size am I?", etc., until she has a good guess as to what she is. When she guesses correctly, she can sit down. Go through the whole classroom like this. The exercise teaches children how to reason through a puzzle to its answer by questioning and observing.

    Imagination Survival

    • Rocks can be used as a makeshift bridge in a survival game.

      Tarzan had to adapt to survive in the jungle, and he did so by learning to live as those around him did, with their language and tools. For this activity, head outside. Give the children a task, such as making a bridge across a puddle. Then have them forage for tools in their environment. By working together, they could come up with any number of solutions to the problem, given only the tools available to them. One team could fill the puddle with dirt, for instance, while another could place rocks as stepping stones across. This teaches the students how to think outside the box to survive or complete a mission within their given environment.

    What About You?

    • If one child loves cheese, another dislikes its taste and a third is allergic to dairy, the students will learn about the reasoning behind preferences.

      Tarzan enjoyed living with the apes because that was the environment in which he was raised. Have the children think of things they like and dislike about the world around them. Examples of this would be: "I don't like cheese," or, "I like my mom." When each student has a substantial list, have each one go through his list in front of the class. After each item is listed, have the other children raise their hands if they also like or dislike it, and keep a tally on the board. Discuss what makes each preference unique. Find the cause of it. This forces the children to think about their feelings both as a condition of society and as an individual preference or aversion.

    Rudimentary Tools

    • A stick and pinecone team can be made into a simple lever with just a bit of imagination and ingenuity.

      Tarzan used tools that the apes used to live a different life than those of humans in civilization. Show the students how rudimentary tools work and give them real-world examples. A stick can be used as a lever. A rock can be a hammer. Vines can be used as ropes. Allow the children to roam outside and find their own tools, using them to create a jungle civilization of their own.

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