The Dig Game

The Dig Game is an activity in JumpStart Reading for Second Graders. It is designed to teach alphabetizing at a second grade level.

Description
At the beginning of the game, the player automatically starts out at The Dig Game after the opening cutscene is finished. CJ and Edison have winded up trapped in the ruins after Dr. Listick's escape and must find a way out.

The player moves CJ using the arrow keys and makes him jump with the spacebar. Words will appear beside masks on the ancient wall. CJ must be moved over the words in the correct alphabetical order. When the player gets a correct answer, the word turns yellow. When all the words have been alphabetized, a door will open for CJ and Edison to exit the ruins.

Later in the game, the player can return to the activity by clicking on the Dig Game icon in CJ's field book.

Skill Level

 * Level one: The player must alphabetize five words which all start with different letters.
 * Level two: The player must alphabetize five words which all start with the same letter.
 * Level two: The player must alphabetize five words, some of which start with the same letter.

Gameplay Level

 * Level one: CJ can climb up all of the vines.
 * Level two: Some vines are too slippery for CJ to climb up.
 * Level two: Some vines are too slippery or thorny for CJ to climb up.

Digital manual description


Just as CJ and his pal Edison discover the tablet that will reveal the location of the Lost City of Ursulab, the fiendish Dr. Listick steals part of the tablet and traps our heroes inside the dig site. Can you help them escape?

Object - Help CJ climb over the masks in alphabetical order to open the exit door on the top left of the screen.

Gameplay - The right and left arrow keys move CJ to the right and left. The up arrow key makes him climb up vines, while the down arrow key makes him climb down. Press the spacebar to make him jump. Don't let CJ get knocked down by gophers, snakes or bugs!

Curriculum - Alphabetizing

Trivia

 * At the beginning of the game, when the player is automatically sent to this activity, they can opt out by pressing the back arrow on the toolbar during the activity, which takes them straight to Machu Picchu instead.
 * At no point during the rest of the game is the player required to play The Dig Game again, as it will not award the player any rubies or diamonds upon completion. Thus, this activity's completion is not required to finish the game.