Jeopardy! Software for Teachers

Play Jeopardy! for free. All you need is a computer.
Thanks for downloading the Pacdude Games Jeopardy! Presentation Software for Schools. This is a free piece
of software dedicated to giving students some fun when they learn by emulating a round of the hit TV game
show Jeopardy!. The sounds, graphics and clues are exactly like you and your students see on the show.
The Quick Start Guide will get you up and running. Further down are more detailed instructions and
walkthroughs. Thank you for downloading! Check point VII for contact information.
QUICK START GUIDE
Use the following guide to quickly get started with the Pacdude Games Jeopardy!
Presentation Software for Schools.
STEP 1 - Input the Material
• Prepare 6 categories of 5 clues each, and one Final Jeopardy! clue.
• Open up the Jeopardy.XML file in Notepad on PC or TextEdit on Mac and fill in the categories and
clues, making sure to put the category name in all capital letters.
• Save when done.
STEP 2 - Start the Game
• Open up the Game Program. Hit CTRL-F or Command-F to put the game in full screen mode, or
click View > Full Screen in the menu bar.
• Use the Space Bar or to move through the presentation.
• Once you’re at the main game board, click on dollar amounts to view the clue.
• Use the Space Bar to start the timer. Use the Space Bar again to stop the timer once someone is
ready to respond. If the clue is a Daily Double, use the D key to show the clue.
• Use the Left Arrow Key to move back to the game board.
• On the game board, if time is up, hit the T key.
• To move to Final Jeopardy!, use the D key.
• Use the Space Bar to move through Final Jeopardy!.
I. How To Play Jeopardy!
Jeopardy! is the class game of answers and questions. Three players or teams of players compete
for the highest score. Each game has six categories, and each category consists of five clues. The
first clue in the category is worth $200, and is the easiest clue, and the final clue is worth $1,000, and
is the hardest.
A player selects a clue and the host reads the clue. After the clue is read completely, a five-second
timer is started. Once the timer starts, any player may buzz in to respond. All responses must be in
the form of a question, generally starting with “who is” or “what is.”
A correct answer adds the value of the clue to the player or team's score. Beware of the jeopardy—an
incorrect answer will subtract the value of the clue from the player or team's score. Scores can go into
the negatives. The player who last answered correctly selects the next clue. Play continues until no
clues remain or time runs out.
Behind one clue is the Daily Double. The player or team that selects the clue hiding the Daily Double
may wager any or all of their accumulated score.
The final round consists of one final clue. The players or team's will first see the final category, then
secretly wager any or all of their score In secret, based on their knowledge of the subject and the
other players' or teams' scores. The final clue will be revealed, then the players or teams will have 30
seconds to formulate a response in secret.
Once the 30 seconds are finished, the responses are revealed, starting with the player in third place.
Correct answers bank the wager, incorrect answers have the wager subtracted from the players'
score.
The player or team with the highest score at the end of the game wins.
II. Preparing the Material
For the game, you’ll need 31 clues. The main round has
30 clues split into six categories. Each category has five
clues each. The clue should be written to lead players to
teams to answer in the form of a question.
For example, if the category was Geography, the clue
could read as this: this state's capital is Harrisburg.
Contestants would then respond: what is Pennsylvania?
For more examples of Jeopardy! clue writing, visit the
Jeopardy! Answer Archive at j-archive.com.
The top clue should be the easiest or least challenging,
with each clue getting incrementally more difficult until the
last, most difficult clue.
Categories that share a literal bond, such as beginning or
ending letters, should have that bond emphasized in
quotes in the category title. For instance, a category
called “‘C’apitals" would be geographic capitals that start
with the letter C.
The final clue is under a unique category. The clue should
require extra thought to utilize the extra 30 seconds of
thinking time.
On the right is a sample category, taken from one of
Jeopardy’s Kids Weeks, to give you an idea of how
Jeopardy! clues are written.
The answers are at the bottom of this page.
SCREENS
OLDER FOLKS LIKE
PHONES WITH KEYPADS,
BUT THE KIDS DON'T MIND
TYPING ON THIS
"SENSORY" TYPE OF
SCREEN
CALLED THE BIGGEST
ADVANCE IN TV SINCE
COLOR, HD, SHORT FOR
THIS, MAKES THE PICTURE
MUCH SHARPER
WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU
SHUT YOUR BEDROOM
DOOR, OR A TYPE OF
FILTER THAT MAKES A
SCREEN READABLE ONLY
STRAIGHT-ON
FOR THIS IPAD, THE
SCREEN SHRANK TO 7.9
INCHES
AN NFL STADIUM IN
ARLINGTON IN THIS STATE
HAS A VIDEO BOARD WITH
26,000 SQUARE FEET OF
SCREENS
what is a touch screen; what is high definition, what is a privacy screen, what
is an iPad Mini, what is Texas?
III. Setting the Game Up
Setting up Jeopardy! PowerPoints used to be difficult, time-consuming, confusing or otherwise a pain
the neck. Now, they're easier than ever. All the clues are in one XML file. XML files are easily read by
humans and computers alike. Here's how a sample category and five clues appear in the document:
<Category cname="YOU KNOW, THE MOVIE WHERE...">
<Clue>Julie Andrews sings about how "the hills are alive"</Clue>
<Clue>Samuel L. Jackson asks, "What does Marsellus Wallace look like?" & is not pleased
with the response</Clue>
<Clue>Rosie Perez is amazing on "Jeopardy!" (but we really wouldn't take "Mt. Suvius") &
oh yes, basketball is played</Clue>
<Clue>Jonah Hill crunched the numbers & got an Oscar nomination</Clue>
<Clue>Jennifer Aniston's in love with that guy...need a bit more? OK. The guy is TV
reporter Jim Carrey</Clue>
</Category>
The category is in quotes and the clues are nestled between brackets that say Clue. If you notice, the
correct responses do not appear in the document. The only things you should be changing are the
things in quotes after Category or the things between the Clue brackets. You should know the
answers, so have them on a separate piece of paper when playing the game.
You can open up at the XML file using a program like Notepad. Do not open the file in Microsoft Word,
or else it may corrupt the structure of the file.
IV. Playing the Game
Once your XML is plugged in, it’s time to play! Open
up the Mac or PC version of the Jeopardy! One
Round game. You’ll be faced in a blank white
screen. In the top right corner, you’ll see a symbol
when your XML file loads up, as shown on the right.
That means the XML file has been successfully
loaded up. To put the game in full screen mode,
select View in the menu bar, then select Full Screen.
Alternately, you can use the shortcut Command-F on
a Mac or Control-F on a PC. Hit the Space Bar to
start the game. The intro video will start and the
theme song will play.
While the theme song plays, it’s a good time to do
your best game show announcer impression:
“This… Is… Jeopardy! Let’s meet today’s
contestants!” Introduce your players or teams. Once
the theme fades out and the Jeopardy! logo remains
on the screen, you can hit the Space Bar to move to
the main game board. Hitting the Space Bar one
more time will load the dollar values into the board.
Don’t forget to tell your teams or contestants that
there is one Daily Double hidden randomly on the board.
Once the dollar values are loaded up, the categories
will be displayed, like on the show. The first category
automatically pops up, and the rest can be shown by
hitting the Space Bar. Once all six categories are
shown, it’s time to play!
To select a clue, click on the dollar amount. The clue
will then pop up. Read the full clue, and then hit the
Space Bar. That starts a five-second timer where
players or teams are allowed to buzz in. When a
player buzzes in, hit the Space Bar to stop the timer.
Once a player or team gets a question correctly, or if
no one gets a question correct, hit the Left arrow key
to go back to the game board. If the clue is a Daily
Double, hit the D key to show the clue after the team
or player gives a wager.
If it looks like you’re running out of time, you can hit
the T key while you’re at the game board to sound a
“Time’s Up” sound effect. When time is up, or all the
clues have been revealed, hit the D key to move to
Final Jeopardy!
Final Jeopardy! starts with the Final Jeopardy! logo.
Hit the Space Bar to reveal the Final Jeopardy!
category. Once the category is revealed, instruct the
players or teams to write down a wager. Players or
teams may wager any or all of their current score.
Players are allowed to know the other players’
scores going into Final Jeopardy! but are to keep
wagers secret.
Once all the players write down their wagers, hit the
Space Bar to reveal and read the clue. Once the
clue is read, hit the Space Bar. That will start the
famous Final Jeopardy! Think Music, giving the
players or teams 30 seconds to formulate their
answers.
Once the music finishes, it’s time to reveal answers.
Starting with the player or team in third place, have
the player reveal their answer. If they are correct,
add the value of their wager to their score. If they
are incorrect, subtract the value of their wager to
their score. Continue with the player or team in
second, followed by the player or team in first.
The player or team with the highest score at the end of the game is the winner! Hit the Space Bar to
show the Jeopardy! logo and play the end theme.
V. SmartBoard Touch Spots
Back to Game Board
Clear Daily Double
Show Clues
To Final Jeopardy!
Time’s Up!”
If you’re using a SmartBoard, never fear: there are touch spots to play the game on your SmartBoard!
For the introduction and Final Jeopardy, touch anywhere on the screen to advance the game.
Start/Stop Timer
VI. Notes
Pacdude Games Jeopardy! Presentation Software for Schools currently doesn’t have buzzers or
scorekeeping implemented. This may come in a future update with enough positive input. In the
meantime, it may be resourceful to invest in classroom bells, sound makers, or electronic buzzers like
the Learning Resources Answer Buzzers, available for under $20 on Amazon. Handheld dry erase
boards make for great Final Jeopardy! pads.
VII. Credits and Legalese
This game was created by Cory Anotado of Pacdude Games and is being provided free-of-charge to
teachers at any public or private school, teaching K through 12th grades of any subject. If you’re
interested in other game show games for your classroom, or need help setting up or using Pacdude
Games Jeopardy! Presentation Software for Schools, please contact me via email at the following
address: [email protected].
If you’d like to donate to my cause, so I can develop more games for classroom use, e-mail me using
Square Cash! Just e-mail [email protected], and cc [email protected]. In the subject
line, put the amount you want to donate in dollars. ($10 would buy dinner for a night!) For more
information, go to http://www.square.com/cash. It’s safe and secure.
This software is made by a fan of the show for the underpaid, overworked teachers of America—
that’s probably you! Thank you for your dedication and service. The Jeopardy! game show and all
elements thereof, including but not limited to copyright and trademark thereto, are the property of
Jeopardy Productions, Inc. and are protected under law. Pacdude Games Jeopardy! Presentation
Software for Schools is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or operated by Jeopardy Productions, Inc.