Crop Quest — Teacher Instruction Book Page 1 CROP QUEST "Where land, sky, water, and seed come together, learning begins." Classes 5–8 · Geography · Agriculture & Natural Resources 10 Groups · 45–60 Minutes per Session TEACHER INSTRUCTION BOOK Welcome & Game Philosophy Dear Teacher, Crop Quest is a hands-on tile-matching game that helps students understand the deep relationship between India's physical geography and its agricultural patterns. Instead of memorizing facts, students discover why Punjab grows wheat, why Kerala grows coconuts, and why Rajasthan struggles with crops at all. What Students Will Learn • How terrain, climate, soil, and water sources together determine what can be grown • The names and locations of India's 29 states and their geographic identities • Systems thinking — that geography is interconnected, not isolated facts How the Game Works Each group of students picks one State Tile from the teacher's table. They must assemble the correct Terrain, Climate, Soil, Water Source, and Crop tiles to build the correct ecosystem for that state. Groups present their reasoning aloud, earn stars based on how many attempts they need, and learn through the class debrief that follows every round. GRADES 5 – 8 PLAYERS 10 Groups DURATION 45–60 min STATES 29

Crop Quest — Teacher Instruction Book Page 2 Complete Component List Everything you need to run Crop Quest is listed below. Check all items against this list before your first session. Per-Group Kits (×10 identical kits) The game ships as 10 pre-packed, identical group kits. Each kit is self-contained and lives permanently in its own pouch. Contents of each kit: Tile Type Count Notes Terrain Tiles 6 Mountains, Plateau, Plains, Desert, Coastal Plains, Hill Climate Tiles 6 Tropical Wet, Tropical Wet & Dry, Arid, Semi-Arid, Temperate/Mountain, Cold Arid Soil Tiles 6 Alluvial, Black, Red/Yellow, Laterite, Desert, Mountain/Forest Water Source Tiles 7 Perennial Rivers, Seasonal/Rain-fed, Groundwater, Coastal/Delta, Glacial/Snow-fed, High Rainfall, Arid/Water-Scarce Crop Tiles 11 Rice, Wheat, Cotton, Tea, Coffee, Millets, Coconut, Sugarcane, Pulses, Spices, Apples RGB Light Puck 1 Controlled by Teacher Light Console. Turns green (correct), red (incorrect), or neutral. Kit total per group: 36 tiles + 1 RGB puck Total across all 10 kits: 360 tiles + 10 RGB pucks. Kits are never unpacked into a central pile. They remain self-contained at each group's table. Teacher's Table Components Item Qty Notes State Tiles 29 Circle-shaped, colour-coded by region. Kept face-down on teacher's table. One per Indian state. Hint Cards 145 5 per state × 29 states. Terrain=Brown, Climate=Blue, Soil=Orange, Water=Teal, Crop=Green. Number Cards (1–10) 10 Placed face-down at group tables before class. Determine presentation order each round. Reward Stars 30 10 Gold · 10 Silver · 10 Bronze. Kept at teacher's station. Teacher Light Console 1 CORRECT (green) | WRONG (red + buzz). USB-C charging port on base. 120-Second Hourglass 1 Replaces the 60-second hourglass. Used for both the build phase and revision windows. Student Comic Poster 1 (A2) Pin on the board before students arrive. Teacher Reference Booklet 1 (laminated) Setup, turn order, hint rules, scoring, light console colour guide.

Crop Quest — Teacher Instruction Book Page 3 Setup Instructions Before Class: Teacher Preparation (~5 minutes) 1. Place one group kit on each of the 10 tables. Each kit is sealed in its pouch. Students do not open it until the build phase begins. 2. Spread all 29 State tiles face-down on the teacher's table. Arrange them in a single spread so each student can reach one easily during the pick phase. 3. Charge the Teacher Light Console. Run a quick button test — CORRECT should trigger green; WRONG should trigger red + buzz. 4. Pin the Student Comic Poster on the board. Make sure it is clearly visible from all 10 tables. 5. That is all. No tile sorting, no hint card pre-packing, no category stacks to manage. The 10 kits are self-contained. Suggested Session Groupings Session Focus States A North India J&K, Ladakh, HP, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, UP, Bihar, Sikkim B Northeast Arunachal, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh C South & West Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, MP Class Start (2 minutes) 6. Divide the class into 10 groups and seat them at their designated tables. 7. Briefly walk through the Comic Poster rules (2 minutes). 8. Tell students their group's Number Card is face-down at the table. They will flip it when instructed — it determines the order in which groups present each round. Light Console & RGB Guide Button LED Colour Meaning Sound CORRECT Green Tile set is fully correct Chime WRONG Red One or more tiles are incorrect Buzz Charge the console fully before each session (USB-C port on base). Keep the console at the teacher's station at all times. Students should not handle the console.

Crop Quest — Teacher Instruction Book Page 4 How to Play — Round Structure The Goal Each group must assemble exactly 6 tiles around their State Tile to build the correct ecosystem for that state: • 1 Terrain Tile • 1 Climate Tile • 1 Soil Tile • 1 Water Source Tile • 1 or 2 Crop Tiles (some states have two primary crops — see Answer Key) 01 STATE PICK Teacher calls one student from each group to come forward simultaneously. Each student walks to the teacher's table and picks ONE State tile from the face-down spread. Students carry their tile back to their table. Groups do not know which state they are getting until the tile is picked — this creates a moment of surprise and engagement at the start of every round. 02 BUILD PHASE Teacher flips the 120-second hourglass and says 'Build!' All groups simultaneously open their kit pouch and discuss which tiles to select. Groups assemble the correct Terrain, Climate, Soil, Water Source, and Crop tiles around their State tile. All tile selection and arrangement must be completed within the 120 seconds. 03 FREEZE When the hourglass runs out, all groups must immediately stop touching their tiles and table. No further rearrangement is permitted after this point. This is a hard rule — enforce it consistently. Remind students before the first round begins. 04 REASONING & CHECK Each group stands up one at a time and presents their completed tile arrangement to the class. Groups flip their Number Card to determine presentation order (Group 1 first, then 2, and so on). Groups must explain why they chose each tile — not just name it, but justify the connection. Example: "We chose Plains terrain because Punjab is part of the Gangetic plain, which is flat and ideal for wheat farming." After the group presents, the teacher checks their arrangement against the Answer Key. 05a CORRECT If the arrangement is fully correct: • Teacher presses CORRECT on the console. • The group's RGB light turns green. • The group receives a Gold Star. • They remain standing to acknowledge the moment.

Crop Quest — Teacher Instruction Book Page 5 05b INCORRECT If one or more tiles are wrong: • Teacher presses WRONG. The group's RGB light turns red. • Teacher tells the group only how many tiles are wrong — not which ones. • Teacher hands that group their state-specific Hint Cards for the incorrect categories only. • The group sits down and is not permitted to touch tiles yet. 06 HINT WINDOW Once all groups have presented (correct or incorrect), a new 120-second window begins. All groups who received Hint Cards may now rearrange their incorrect tiles using the Hint Cards as guidance. Groups who already have green lights sit quietly and do not touch their tiles. 07 SECOND PRESENTATION Groups who revised now stand and present again. • Correct on this attempt → Silver Star + green light. • Still incorrect → Teacher gives one more Hint Card per remaining wrong category. • One final 120-second window, followed by a third and final presentation. • Correct on third attempt → Bronze Star. 08 ROUND CLOSE Once all groups are on green or have exhausted three attempts: • Teacher leads a 2–3 minute class debrief explaining the correct ecosystem for the state. • Highlight connections students discovered. Address common errors. • State tiles are returned face-down to the teacher's table spread. • Kit tiles are returned to the kit pouch. RGB lights reset to neutral. • Next round begins at Step 01. Scoring Summary Star When Awarded Points Hint Cards Used Gold Star Correct on 1st presentation — before any Hint Cards 3 pts 0 Silver Star Correct on 2nd presentation — after one round of Hint Cards 2 pts 1 round Bronze Star Correct on 3rd presentation — after two rounds of Hint Cards 1 pt 2 rounds Participation Did not achieve correct arrangement after 3 attempts 0 pts Explained in debrief

Crop Quest — Teacher Instruction Book Page 6 Hint Card Rules Hint Cards are a lifeline, not a shortcut. They are designed to scaffold learning without giving away answers directly. Each state has exactly 5 Hint Cards, one for each category: Terrain, Climate, Soil, Water Source, and Crop. When Hint Cards Are Given Situation Cards Given Which Cards Group has 2 or more incorrect tiles after first check 2 Hint Cards Teacher chooses the 2 categories that were wrong Group has 1 incorrect tile after second check 1 Hint Card The category that is still wrong Group stuck for more than 2 minutes (teacher's discretion) 1 Hint Card The category they seem most confused about Group correctly identifies all categories on first try 0 Hint Cards No hints needed Hint Card Limits & Star Eligibility Hint Cards Used Star Eligibility 1 Hint Card Ineligible for Gold Star (Silver still possible) 2 Hint Cards Ineligible for Gold or Silver (Bronze only) 3 Hint Cards (maximum) Receives Participation acknowledgement instead of a star What Each Hint Card Says Each hint card gives: • A sensory/descriptive clue — what it looks, feels, sounds like. • A negative clue — what it is NOT. • A connecting clue — how this feature affects the crop or climate. Sample Hint Cards — Punjab TERRAIN The land here is very flat and wide. Tractors can move in all directions easily. There are no hills or mountains in this state itself. CLIMATE Summers are hot, winters are cool. Rainfall is moderate — not too much, not too little. Farmers often need extra water beyond the rain. SOIL This soil was carried here by rivers from the mountains. It is very fertile and soft. It is the best soil for grain crops. WATER This state has rivers that flow all year round, even in summer. Farmers can irrigate their fields anytime. CROP This crop needs cool winters and moderate rainfall. It turns golden before harvest. It is used to make chapati.

Crop Quest — Teacher Instruction Book Page 7 State-by-State Answer Key Teacher reference only — do not share with students. Each entry shows: State | Terrain | Climate | Soil | Water Source | Crop(s) # State Terrain Climate Soil Water Crop(s) 1 Jammu & Kashmir Mountains Temperate Mountain soil Glacial melt Rice 2 Ladakh Mountains Cold Arid Desert soil Glacial melt (limited) Millets 3 Himachal Pradesh Mountains Temperate Mountain soil Rivers Apples 4 Punjab Plains Semi-arid Alluvial Perennial Rivers Wheat, Sugarcane 5 Uttarakhand Mountains Temperate Mountain soil Rivers (glacial origin) Rice, Tea 6 Haryana Plains Semi-arid Alluvial Groundwater + Rivers Wheat, Sugarcane 7 Rajasthan Desert Arid Desert soil Scarce / No reliable source Millets, Pulses 8 Bihar Plains Tropical Wet Alluvial Perennial River Systems Rice, Wheat 9 Sikkim Mountains Temperate Mountain soil Mountain & River Water Tea 10 Arunachal Pradesh Mountains Tropical Wet Mountain soil Mountain & River Water Rice 11 Assam Plains + Hills Tropical Wet Alluvial Perennial River Systems Tea, Rice 12 Nagaland Hills Tropical Wet Mountain soil High Rainfall Rice 13 Manipur Hills + Valley Tropical Wet Mountain soil High Rainfall Rice 14 Mizoram Hills Tropical Wet Mountain soil High Rainfall Rice 15 Tripura Hills Tropical Wet Laterite High Rainfall Rice 16 Meghalaya Plateau Tropical Wet Laterite High Rainfall Tea 17 West Bengal Plains Tropical Wet Alluvial Perennial River Systems Rice 18 Jharkhand Plateau Tropical Wet & Dry Red Seasonal / Rain-fed Rice, Pulses 19 Chhattisgarh Plains Tropical Wet Red Seasonal / Rain-fed Rice 20 Madhya Pradesh Plateau Tropical Wet & Dry Black Seasonal / Rain-fed Wheat 21 Gujarat Plains Semi-arid Black Coastal / Delta Systems Cotton 22 Odisha Plateau Tropical Wet Red Perennial Rivers Rice 23 Telangana Plateau Semi-arid Black Groundwater Cotton, Pulses 24 Maharashtra Plateau Semi-arid Black Seasonal / Rain-fed Cotton, Sugarcane 25 Andhra Pradesh Coastal Plains Tropical Wet & Dry Red Groundwater Rice, Cotton 26 Goa Coastal Tropical Wet Laterite Coastal / Delta Systems Rice, Coconut 27 Karnataka Plateau Tropical Wet & Dry Laterite Groundwater Coffee, Millets 28 Kerala Coastal + Hills Tropical Wet Laterite Coastal / Delta Systems Rice, Coconut, Spices 29 Tamil Nadu Plateau Tropical Wet & Dry Red Groundwater Rice, Millets

Crop Quest — Teacher Instruction Book Page 8 Teacher Notes by State 1 — Jammu & Kashmir Discuss how glacial melt provides summer irrigation even without monsoon rainfall. 2 — Ladakh India's only cold desert. Very low rainfall, very high altitude — millets survive because they need very little water. 3 — Himachal Pradesh Apple orchards thrive between 1500–2700m. Cool temperatures and well-drained mountain soil are key. 4 — Punjab Called 'India's breadbasket.' Flat alluvial plains + perennial rivers (Sutlej, Beas, Ravi) make wheat farming highly productive. 7 — Rajasthan Receives less than 300mm rainfall annually in most parts. Bajra is drought-resistant — survives on very little water. 11 — Assam Produces over 50% of India's tea. The Brahmaputra valley's alluvial plains grow rice; surrounding hills grow tea. 16 — Meghalaya Cherrapunji/Mawsynram receives the highest rainfall in the world. Laterite + high rainfall = tea cultivation. 20 — Madhya Pradesh Black (regur) soil retains moisture well — wheat can be grown even with seasonal water. MP is India's largest wheat producer. 28 — Kerala Receives two monsoons — Southwest and Northeast. The backwaters, coastal systems, and hill slopes create incredible crop diversity.

Crop Quest — Teacher Instruction Book Page 9 Differentiation & Classroom Tips Scenario Recommendation Struggling Learners Assign states with very distinct geography first — Rajasthan (desert) or Kerala (coastal) are easier to reason about than central plateau states. Advanced Learners Ask them to explain the full 'chain': terrain → climate → soil → water → crop. Can they articulate why each connection makes sense? Smaller Classes Reduce to 6 or 8 groups. Choose fewer states. All rules remain the same. Repeated Sessions Rotate states across sessions so all 29 are eventually covered. Keep a record of which states each group has played. Cross-Curricular Links • Science: Soil types, water cycle, climate zones • Social Studies: State geography, rivers, agriculture history • Language Arts: The reasoning presentation builds spoken justification skills Discussion Prompts Use these after each round to deepen thinking: • "If Punjab had no perennial rivers, what would happen to wheat farming?" • "Why can't Rajasthan grow rice?" • "What would change if Assam became semi-arid?" Troubleshooting & FAQ Q: What if two students pick the same State tile? A: State tiles are spread individually — only one of each state is in the face-down spread per round. If a student picks up a tile another student has already taken, they return it and pick another. Teacher monitors this during the pick phase. Q: Can groups look at other groups' tile arrangements during the freeze phase? A: Looking is permitted — copying is not. The Freeze rule prevents touching, not seeing. The reasoning presentation immediately after reveals whether a group understood their own arrangement or merely copied another. Q: What if a group finishes assembling before 120 seconds? A: They wait. No early presentations. All groups present after the freeze, in order of their Number Cards. This keeps the rhythm consistent and gives slower groups the full time. Q: A group insists their tile is correct but it's in the Answer Key as wrong? A: Use this as a teaching moment. Ask the group to explain why they chose that tile. Sometimes students find valid geographic connections — acknowledge the reasoning, then clarify which is the primary or dominant answer. Q: We have fewer than 30 students? A: Reduce to 8 or 6 groups. Choose fewer states. Rules remain the same. Q: Can we play without the Light Console? A: Yes. Use hand signals instead: thumbs up (correct), thumbs down (incorrect), clap (round start), bell ring (time warning).

Crop Quest — Teacher Instruction Book Page 10 Q: How do we handle states with 2 crops? A: Both crop tiles should be selected. If only one is presented, it is counted as incomplete — the group will receive a hint card for the Crop category. Q: My Light Console isn't working? A: Check charge level. If lights fail mid-game, use the verbal fallback method (call out 'Green!' / 'Red!' as needed). Summary Item Value Total group kits 10 (pre-packed, self-contained) Tiles per kit 36 tiles + 1 RGB puck Total tiles 360 across all 10 kits State tiles 29 (kept at teacher's table) Total Hint Cards 145 (5 per state × 29 states) States covered 29 Groups 10 Teacher pre-class setup time ~5 minutes Build phase timer 120 seconds (×3 maximum per round) Crop Quest — Where Geography Grows