Assignment 4A: Interactive Game

I have tried a number of interactive games with my classes, and I do really enjoy KahootIt, but the one I am sharing today is a Jeopardy game.  I use the format as a review for quizzes quite frequently in my classes because the students seem to enjoy it so much.  This Jeopardy game is designed to review the Greek and Roman Gods/Goddesses, their realms, symbols and picture identification skills.  The students have had a lot of practice and I usually play the Jeopardy game with them the day before a quiz or a test.

I randomly divide the class into three large groups.  Each group writes down a batting order and submits it to the teacher.  The students are usually sitting in tight circles around a couple of desks so they can communicate quietly to one another.  I have three chairs in the front of the room and the PowerPoint showing on the overhead LCD projector.  Each team sends their designated representative up to the front chairs to begin the game.  One student chooses a category and I show the question to the whole class.  No one can speak until the three students in the front have had the opportunity to answer the posed question.  When the three in the front raise their hands, the teacher decides whose hand goes up first and calls on that students to answer aloud.  If one of the three students in the front gets the correct answer, then that team is awarded the points. Then the next three students come to the front and we repeat the process until all the questions are answered.

If the three students in the front are not able to answer the question correctly, each team may submit a written answer and I will rotate who has the first, second and third chance to steal so it if fair.  The team that ultimately answers the question correctly gets to choose the category for the next round and wins the points.

Once we have answered all of the questions, we add up the points and play a final Jeopardy round.  Each team keeps track of ALL of the points earned so there is extra accountability; I keep track too.  The team that wins usually gets some extra credit points or a sucker.  The students are very competitive and engaged during the entire lesson.  Reviewing has never been so much fun.

I can differentiate this lesson by printing out the slides and making sure that my students who need to be able to read the questions off a paper instead of reading it off a screen can.  I sometimes allow my special education students to take a small note card up to the front with them to help them remember some of the names they have a difficult time pronouncing.

I provide the students with a excel spreadsheet at the end that has all of the questions on it.  Each student sitting in his/her seat, will write down the answers to each of the questions, like a practice run of the quiz, so they have an extra study tool to review that afternoon.  The quiz, or test the following day will be the measure for how much the students learned.  I have also used a "ticket our the door" routine where the students will write what they found valuable or learned today in class.  That is another way to check for understanding with an interactive game lesson like this one.