Classroom Review Games (List 1)

Interactive Concept Review Ideas

• Tic-Tac-Toe Review
• Students or teacher creates review questions to be used for the game.  Divide the students into two teams. Create a large tic-tac-toe board (on the white board or a poster board with velcro compartments for the X's and O's).
• Create a copy of questions that will be used for each student to answer during the game (accountability of all students).
• As student teams answer questions they earn the chance to place X's or O's on the board to earn points for their team.

• Will the Winners Lose (taken from: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/03/lp321-04.shtml)
• Prepare two sets of cards in advance of the game:
• Prepare a set of 25 "scoring cards." On each of those cards, write a different instruction, for example:
  

  * Earn 100 points
  * Lose a turn
  * Take 50 points from the other team
  * Earn 70 points
  * Double your total points
  * Take an extra turn
  * Earn 500 bonus points

• On the other set of cards, write 25 questions related to the topic or skill(s) you want to review and reinforce. (Note: Questions might be created in list form rather than on cards.)

Introduce the stack of scoring cards to students. Shuffle the cards. Put the stack face down on a desk.

Alternative idea.
You might post the 25 scoring cards in random order on a bulletin board or chalkboard. Post the cards with the blank side facing students and the scoring instructions hidden from view.

Arrange students into two or more teams. Decide which team goes first, and then pose the first question to a member of that team. If the student answers correctly, he or she draws a scoring card from the stack (or removes one from the bulletin board or chalkboard). The score on the card determines the score the student earns for his or her team.

• If the team has 0 (zero) points and the card selected reads "Earn 50 points," the team has a total of 50 points.
• If the card reads, "Double your present score," the team doubles its score of 0, for a total of 0 points.
• If the card reads, "Deduct 50 points from your score," the team subtracts 50 from 0, for a score of -50.

If the student answer incorrectly, the first student on another team to raise his or her hand earns the right to "steal" the question. A correct answer earns that student the opportunity to choose a scoring card...

Of course, the scoring card could carry a negative message, so answering a question correctly is no guarantee that a team will earn points; as a matter of fact, the team could lose points! A team could conceivably answer all the questions correctly and lose the game. That's why the game is called "Will the Winners Lose?"

• Trash Ball: taken from: (http://712educators.about.com/cs/assessment/ht/htbballreview.htm)
• Write at least 25 'easy' review questions.
• Write at least 25 'hard' review questions.
• Buy or make a small (3-4 inches diameter) ball. I make mine with a paper wad in the middle surrounded by a few layers of masking tape.
• Set up the room with a (clean) garbage can in the front. This will be the 'basket'.
• Place a piece of masking tape on the floor approximately 3 feet from the basket.
• Place a piece of masking tape on the floor approximately 8 feet from the basket.
• Divide the students into two teams.
• Explain that each student must answer the questions given to them. Easy and hard questions will be evenly interspersed.
• Keep score for the questions. Easy questions are worth 1 points each and hard questions are worth 2.
• If a student gets an easy question correct, they have a chance to shoot for an 'extra point'. They will shoot from the tape mark that is furthest from the basket.
• If a student gets a hard question correct, they have a chance to shoot for an 'extra point'. They will shoot from the tape mark that is closest to the basket. 

• Zonk! (adapted from http://www.learnersedgeinc.com)
•  A board is made with pockets numbered 1 through 50. Inside the pockets are 3x5 cards with a numerical value on them. However, some of the cards have the word zonk or wham written on them. The students get into teams of four or five students. The teacher asks a question and if the team spokesperson gets it right the team picks a card from the number pockets. The team can pick up to three cards. If they get a number card they get those points, if they get a wham card the points are doubled, but if they get a zonk card they lose all their points. The students enjoy this game and like pressing their luck; also the score can change with every question, so the students never get discouraged if they have a low score. Each student receives a copy of the questions to complete as we work through the game together (accountability & review).
  

• Snowball Fight (adapted from http://adulted.about.com/od/icebreakers/qt/snowballfight.htm)
• Ask students to write questions regarding the topic you want to review. Provide each student with several pieces of paper so there is abundant snow. If you want to make sure certain issues are covered, add some snowballs of your own. When the snowball fight is over, each student will pick up a snowball and answer the question in it.
  If your room accommodates this, it can be nice to keep students on their feet during this exercise since they’ll be picking up snowballs throughout it. Moving around also helps people retain learning, and it’s a great way to energize a classroom.
  (Printing a copy of the questions for each student adds accountability)
  
•  Skee-Ball Review (adapted from: http://yearn4learning.blogspot.com/2012/07/skee-ball-school-style.html) 
• Have students spend time writing review questions and answers that could be used in a review session. Make a master worksheet of all the questions that will be used and copy for each student (accountability). As student teams answer questions, they earn a skee-ball toss to earn points for their team (ping-pong balls work great for this).
• 
• Balloon Relay (gym or outdoor game)
• Place review questions inside balloons and inflate. Divide students into teams. Place the filled balloons Each team will send one person to run and retrieve a balloon, bring it back to the team, sit on it, pop it, remove the question and answer. The team may not retrieve another balloon until the questions are answered correctly. Teams earn one point for each correct answer.