What’s in Your Bag of Tricks?

Have you ever found yourself searching for a fresh way to present information in your classes? This is an interactive way to involve your students and increase information retention.

Items Needed:

• Gym Bag


• Assorted items related to the content discussion

Delivery:

In a small gym bag, place several items relevant to your day’s presentation.

Example: When discussing loading a vehicle, place the following items in the gym bag:

• Gloves


• Tire pressure gauge


• Jumper cables


• Small block of wood – (for the jack)


• Flashlight


• Screwdriver


• Safety warning triangles/Glow stick flares


• Rags/towel

Have students pick an object from the bag. In many cases you will not have enough for every student; this is OK. If you are using the exercise as a group activity, each group would select just one item from the bag.

As your class discussions moves towards the “What type of things you should carry in the trunk?” discussion, have each student/group explain why he/she/group would keep this in the vehicle. Each student will then place the items back in the bag when finished.

If using this as an individual exercise, have the students that did not pick an item from the bag provide input on additional items that should be carried in the vehicle that can assist in emergencies.

Instructor can finish the exercise by explaining proper stowage of bag in the vehicle (on the floor behind the seat or in the trunk) so it does not become a harmful projectile in the vehicle should a collision occur.