Classroom Jeopardy!

Infobox Game
title = Classroom Jeopardy!
subtitle =
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designer =
illustrator =
publisher = Educational Insights
players = 1-3 players/teams (upgradable to 30 players/teams) plus 1 host
ages = 8 and up (Geades 3+)
setup_time = 1 to 2 hours for game construction, 10 to 20 minutes for game setup
playing_time = 45 minutes to 1 hour
random_chance =
skills = School-subject knowledge (though the unit could be programmed for any general trivia knowledge)
footnotes = Also produced for home use as Host Your Own Jeopardy!
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Classroom Jeopardy! is a cartridge-based "plug and play" game introduced in 2002 by Educational Insights for use in schools across the United States and Canada. It was introduced due to the popularity of the hit TV quiz show Jeopardy! and because educators had long praised the show for its longevity and that their students were sometimes creating their own versions of the game to encourage student participation in class. [Trebek, Alex and Peter Barsocchini. "The Jeopardy! Book: The Answers, the Questions, the Facts, and the Stories of the Greatest Game Show in History". New York: HarperCollins, 1990, page 11] [Richmond, Ray. "This is Jeopardy!: Celebrating America's Favorite Quiz Show". New York: Barnes & Noble, 2004, page 210]

The system can be connected to any video source with RCA-style A/V connectivity (television, monitor, VCR, video projector), and doesn't require a computer to play (save for the programming of the cartridges, which can be programmed though a PC/Macintosh or through the unit itself; see below).

imilarities to the TV show

* The game uses the basic format of Jeopardy!
* Players signal using wireless remotes, similar to the signalling buttons used on the show.
* Scores are instantly displayed on a scoreboard (built into the base unti), just like in the studio.
* Just like the writers do for the show, educators can create clues designed to suit their curriculum. (Additionally, any materiel--not just curriculum-based--could be programmed into the unit, allowing for non-school usage--see Host Your Own Jeopardy!.)
* As with the TV show, players who finish Double Jeopardy! with $0 or less are excluded from playing Final Jeopardy!
* As with the TV show, the player with the highest final score wins the game.

Differences from the TV show

* The game can be played in teams, and up to 30 players/teams can play (using the expansion scoreboard/remote sets).
* On the TV show, when players wager on a Daily Double, they may wager any part of or all of their money, with a minimum wager of $5. In Classroom Jeopardy!, players or teams must wager in 100 point increments, with a minimum wager of 100 points.
* On the TV show, the writers determined the placement of the Daily Doubles in a game. In Classroom Jeopardy!, the unit randomizes where the Daily Doubles are placed in each game (still one in J! and two in DJ!), so the host has no idea when one comes up until it does.
* On the TV show, when players wager in Final Jeopardy!, they may wager any part of, all of, or none of their money. In Classroom Jeopardy!, wagers must be made in 100 point increments, but players or teams have the option to wager any part of, all of, or none of their points.

What is included with the system

* 1 base unit and scoreboard
* 3 wireless "player" remotes
* 1 wireless "host" remote
* 3 "dry erase" name placards
* 1 "dry erase" marker
* 1 cartridge with 5 elementary school-level sampler games plus blank storage space for additional games (additional blank cartridges may be purchased separately)
* A/V cords
* User's Guide
* Classroom Jeopardy! Link--a USB-connecting peripheral which allows programming of game materiel to the cartridge via PC or Macintosh. Accompanying installation software is included on a CD-ROM. (Also available separately for older systems--see below.)
** "NOTE: Earlier "grey" editions of the system (those made with a grey plastic body, as compared to the current white-plastic-cased versions) included a PC-style mini keyboard that connected to the unit to allow direct programming/editing of game materiel. (The Link was created to allow easier and more flexible editing capabilites.) This function still remains in the newer "white" models, and can be accessed using any PS2-connecting PC keyboard (not a Macintosh keyboard, according to the game documentation, as this could damage both the keyboard and the system)."

Sold separately is an additional scoreboard & remote set. This consists of a unit with three additional score readouts that connects to and can be stacked on top of the base unit and three additional "player" remotes, allowing for more players/teams per game. Nine such additional units can be "daisy-chained" to the base unit, allowing for a maximum of 30 players/teams per game. (According to the game documentation, only the top 6 scoring players go through to the FINAL JEOPARDY! round, but additional players can play along via paper/pencil participation.)

ee also

* Jeopardy!
* Host Your Own Jeopardy!

References

External links

* [http://www.classroomjeopardy.com The official website of Classroom Jeopardy!]
* [http://www.jeopardy.com The official website of Jeopardy!]