Cops and robbers - What I know about the civil war

The 'Cops and robbers' activity is an engaging educational game designed to encourage pupils to share and expand their knowledge about the Civil War. In groups of four, pupils begin by taking two minutes to jot down everything they can recall about the topic on the left side of a chart. This section is dedicated to their own remembered information. Once this initial step is complete, the game introduces an interactive twist: each pupil has 60 seconds to review the contributions of their peers, searching for any new or unfamiliar pieces of information that they did not originally note down.

After this quick review, pupils have the opportunity to 'steal' this newfound knowledge by adding it to the 'stolen knowledge' section of their chart. This process not only incentivises learning from one another but also turns the acquisition of knowledge into a fun and collaborative competition. Each piece of information that a pupil successfully 'steals' and records is worth two points, adding a gamified element to the learning process. The entire activity is structured to last around 15 minutes, providing a quick and dynamic way for pupils to consolidate their understanding of the Civil War and remember the importance of historical events such as gunpowder, treason, and plot.