35 WAYS TO INTRODUCE YOUR

LESSON TOPIC
Are you fed up with using the same old methods to introduce your lesson topic? Look no
further! Here are 35 ways to kick off your lesson. How many have you tried?

1. Using an anecdote

Example topic: idioms

You know I play football, right? No? Well I love it. Anyway, I went into town to buy some new
boots the other day. I’m in Sports Direct, and I see these Nike boots that I really like, they’re the
new model. The assistant comes over and is like

“can I help you?”

And I’m “yeah. Can you tell me how much these are?”

She says “They’re £500”

And I said “£500???? That’s an arm and a leg!”

Here’s some example flashcards I made for teaching idioms. These could also be used for a
‘dingbats’ warmer (see number 22).

2. Cuisenaire Rods creation

Example topic: Tourist attractions

Give each pair of students a bunch of Cuisenaire rods.

“Work in pairs. Use the rods to create a model of a well-known tourist attraction in
[town/city/country/continent]. You have 2 minutes”

Students then look at each model and guess the attraction.

3. Cuisenaire Rods model

Create your own model using rods. Elicit what it represents.

(Here is my example of the UK political parties and their share of the vote, for a recent lesson
on politics)

4. Musical “Guess the topic”

Example topic: family and relationships

Think of 3 or 4 songs which in some way reference the theme/topic of your lesson

Avril Lavigne – Skater Boi (“he was a boy, she was a girl, can I make it any more obvious?”)

The Hollies – He ain’t heavy (he’s my brother)

Baz Luhman – Everybody’s free to wear sunscreen (“maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t…”)

Ozzy Ozbourne – Mama I’m coming home

Play students a relevant segment of the song (where something about the topic is referenced).
Ask them to write notes on what they hear, compare notes, and guess the topic of the lesson.

5. Family fortunes (my favourite)

Example topic: British customs and culture / stereotypes

Create a fake family fortunes style question:

“We asked 100 people from England, Scotland and Wales – which things make you a typical
Brit?”

Board the following

1 ________________ 2 ____________ 3_____________ 4____________ 5____________

Students work in groups to prepare answers. Make it a little game (they win points for each
correct answer).

Five possible answers for the above: queuing, drinking tea, talking about the weather, eating
fish and chips, having bad teeth.

6. Picture parts

Example topic: animals

Make some extreme close-up pictures of animals. Pass them around and get the students to
guess what they are and hence the topic of the lesson

7. Picture association “Guess the topic”

Example topic: ‘once in a lifetime’

Gather pictures of things that people MIGHT do only once in a lifetime.

Examples: drive a Ferrari, skydive, run a marathon, win the lottery(?), see a shooting star(?).
Board the pictures or pass them round, students discuss each one and guess the common
theme.

8. Complete the sentence

Topic: Making apologies

Think of a relevant starter sentence and have students complete in their own words

“The most common time to say sorry is….”

Topic: 2nd conditionals

“If I looked like David Beckham, I would…”

9. Me/not me

Example topic: Food and drink

Get students to create a table with two categories

Read a list of different foods/drinks. Students write each word you dictate into their table in the
correct category depending on their tastes. They then compare with their partner/group to see
if they are similar or different.

10. What are they saying?

Display a picture of someone on the board. Give students a speech bubble in groups, or draw a
speech bubble for each group on the board. Students write what the person is saying

Example topic: the royal family

You could also do a caption competition

11. Me and my partner questions

Example topic: hobbies and interests

Make a series of questions or statements related to the topic. Have students answer the
questions themselves. Then, they ask their partner the questions and compare answers. They
could do this with two different partners to add more speaking. They could even predict their
partners answers first, and see if they were right.

12. Classic ‘Find someone who…’ mingle

Students walk around asking questions to classmates to find out information. Compare answers
with their partner afterwards, and feedback as a class.

Example topic: fears/phobias

13. Slow reveal…

Start drawing a picture on the board, but only one line of it. Have students guess what it is

‘A snake’, ‘a line’, etc.

Encourage creativity. Add the next line, encourages guesses, keep doing this until eventually a
student guesses the picture/lesson topic

Example topic: Castles in Britain

14. Realia

Example topic: hobbies and interests

Bring in 5 items that represent your own hobbies, can students guess pastimes?

Mine – Bit of wool (knitting), keyboard (blogging), crossword, binoculars (birdwatching), rubber
chicken (making jokes)

15. what happens next?

Show a relevant video, pause it at a key point and have students predict what might happen.

Example topic: using modal verbs to express probability

Pause clip after 7 seconds. Students discuss what might happen. Give some process language
(that player might… it might… maybe… the ball/the player/a fan will… etc). Or give them 3
options for what might happen. Play clip to see if prediction was correct (note: last 10 seconds
of this video has some swearing).

16. Use authentic listening

Play students a relevant short clip of a movie/TV. Only let them hear the sound. Create a
listening task relevant to the topic.

Example topic: feelings/emotions

Listen to the following clip. Write down any emotions you feel the speakers express.

Or

Listen to the clip. Circle all the emotions that speakers show

Excitement anger patience shock humour etc

Now let them watch the clip and write down any extra emotions they ‘see’

17. Make your own audio

Create a short listening text as a topic lead in.

Example topic: giving advice

18. Matching quiz

This is a good way to introduce target language straight away. Teaching English Grammar
(Scrivener) gives plenty of examples for how to present target language, I recommend taking a
look

Example topic: passives

Match the inventions to the inventor…

The light bulb was invented by… Alexander Graham Bell

The telephone was invented by… Tim Berners-Lee

The internet was invented by… Thomas Edison

Etc…

19. Boggle guess the word

Use the letters from the lesson topic to make a little game

Example topic: Solar System – the planets

20. Moving true or false

Check what your students know about a topic with quick fire true or false questions. However,
make it more exciting. All students, stand up. If they think the answer is true, they stand on the
left of the classroom. False, on the right. If they get it wrong, they are out (they sit back down).
Continue until one student remains. They are the winner, reward them with… a round of
applause.

21. Moving agree/disagree

This just makes warm up discussion questions more fun and mixes up speakers. Make different
corners of the room different opinions – e.g.

Stand near the door if you agree

Stand in the corner over there (point) if you strongly agree

Stand near Pedro’s desk if you disagree

Etc

Read a statement, students move to the relevant corner, then give them 1 or 2 minutes to
discuss the statement with whoever is in the corner. If there is only one person in a particular
space then you could bounce a few ideas from each corner as a class discussion, or send a
student with a different opinion over to debate it.

22. Dingbats

These are fun drawings that represent a word.

Example topic: technology.

Draw a few dingbats on the board. Students guess the words then guess what the theme of the
lesson might be.
(smart phone)

23. Discussion questions

Example topic: crime and punishment

Q1: Do you agree with the death penalty?

Q2: ‘life means life’. What does this refer to, and do you agree?

Etc.

24. Secret realia

Bring in objects in a ‘santa’s sack’. Put the sack on the table. Allows certain students to feel the
objects through the sack. They work with a partner/team to guess the objects and the common
theme between each object.

25. ‘Coffeepotting’

This can be done in many ways, but a good one is by providing a short text where the target
word is missing, and has been replaced with the word ‘Coffeepot’. Students guess the correct
word

Example topic: television

Coffeepot was invented in the 1920s, but became popular after World War 2. At first, coffeepots
were black and white, but then it changed to colour. Coffeepot is a form of entertainment.
These days, almost every household has a coffeepot. (etc…)

26. Verbal ‘coffeepotting’

Again the target word has been replaced by the word ‘Coffeepot’. Students ask questions to
help guess what word ‘Coffeepot’ actually is…

Example topic: MacDonalds

Student: is coffeepot a noun?

Teacher: yes…

Student: can coffeepot be a verb too?

Teacher: no

Student: is coffeepot an object?

Teacher: well, you can have a coffeepot, yes.

Student: is it a place?

Teacher: is what a place?

Student: sorry, is coffeepot a place?

Etc…

27. Complete the dialogue (similar to ‘what are they saying’!)

Put pictures on the board of random interactions between people. Have students create suitable
dialogues. Choose pictures that will direct to the topic…
Example topic: how and when to apologise

Man: _______________________________

Woman: ____________________________

28. Mnemonic race

If introducing a familiar topic, a way to activate prior knowledge might be for students to create
a Mnemonic from the topic word, using associated words

Example topic: Feelings

F –antastic

E –xcellent

E – lated

L –azy

I – nsecure

N- auseous!

G- utted

S –tupid
 29. Whiteboard race

Divide students into two teams, and divide the whiteboard down the middle. Students line up in
two teams. The first person in each line has a pen. When you say the topic, they run to the
board, write a word related to the topic, pass the pen to the next person then join the back of
their line. The next person then writes another word and passes the pen on. Do this for 2
minutes as a race. If one team writes a word that the other team already have they get no
points. Again, checks prior knowledge.

30. Categorising

Display a set of familiar words related (or less so) to the topic. Ask students to divide the words
into at least 3 different categories. Conduct class feedback/discussion and have students share
their categories and explain why they chose them.

Example topic: health and fitness

Smoking, running, drugs, red wine, football, movies, reading, clubbing, vitamins, snakes,
vegetables, birdwatching

Possible student created categories:

Things that benefit your health Things that damage your health unrelated words

(playing) football clubbing (too much) snakes

Smoking (relieve stress) drugs

Reading (relaxation) etc

With this activity, you’ll be surprised at some of the categories. Also, it leads to instant
discussion:

‘Snakes are not unrelated, they could seriously damage your health’

‘Smoking is good for you?! No way!’

Etc
 31. What does that mean?

Board the lesson topic. Have learners write a short definition of it. I did this yesterday and this
happened:

Example topic: lookalikes

Definitions…

Group 1: like a look (?)

Group 2: to look like something or someone

Group 3: look and act like something

Group 4: be person not you famous (?)

32. Organise and discuss

Think of a statement related to the topic. Get lots of small slips of paper. Write one word of the
statement on each slip. Jumble up the words. Hand one set of the words to each group. The
group work together to put the statement in the correct order, then discuss their opinions on it.

If the topic is particularly familiar or the learners are high level, get them to think of the
statement and create the organisation task (statement minimum 8 words or something).
 33. odd one out

For general discussion…

Board 4 or 5 common words related to the topic. Have students decide which word is the odd
one out and why. Example topic: jobs/ambitions

Fireman Doctor Teacher Nurse

Student: the odd one out is the teacher as the others save lives

For guessing the topic…

Same thing, but include one word that is not related at all, and see if students mention the
topic when they share their opinion!

Example topic: Endangered animals

T-rex dodo rhino woolly mammoth

Student: rhino is the odd one out as the others are extinct

(leads into a discussion on things like threats rhinos might face and introducing term
‘endangered’.

34. A conundrum

Pose a difficult question to the students which may be a topic of debate.

Topic: giving opinions

Recently, a teacher recommended the ‘do or die’ videos by National Geographic. You’ll find
plenty of these on youtube. Choose one relevant to your topic.. here’s an example of one.

35. Hangman!

I really hope you’ve found 1 new idea here. Please comment and add your own ways to
introduce a topic, let’s get from 35 to 100!

Update: I’ve added some further ideas in this new post.

Cooking Class Tip #1: Go with Video

I've found that my cooking students appreciate an introductory video

Cooking Class Tip #2: Share Successes

Cooking Class Tip #3: Offer Step-by-Step Pictures

hat way, they could go back and check a technique they might have missed, confirm what a dish
should look like as they cook it, or simply commit the checklist to memory.

Cooking Class Tip #4: Get Hands-On

Cooking Class Tip #5: Use the Spice of Lif

Cooking Class Tip #6: Seek Inspiration

Collect images of great dishes, presentation approaches, garnishes, etc. Keep this inspiration
collection all in one plac

As children follow a recipe on their own or work collaboratively with their peers in measuring, pouring, and
stirring, they are developing independence from adults

. Experiential learning is grounded in the idea that experience is essential to learning and understanding.
Specifically, experiential learning involves a recurring sequence of three distinct steps: 1) an experience
(“Procedure/Experiencing”) that involves learner exploration; 2) a period of discussion and reflection
(“Sharing, Processing and Generalizing”) where learners share their reactions and observations, process
their experience, and make generalizations to real-life examples; and 3) an opportunity to apply
(“Apply”) new knowledge and skills in an authentic manner, which helps learners deepen and broaden
their understanding (it helps learning last!). Inquiry is a teaching and learning strategy whereby learners
are engaged in activities that require the observation and manipulation of objects and ideas in order to
construct knowledge and develop skills. Inquiry is grounded in experience, focuses on the use and
development of critical thinking skills, and targets the learning and application of specific content
knowledge. Furthermore, inquiry starts with a question, and effective questioning strategies are critical
when facilitating inquiry-based learning. Open-ended questions or prompts (e.g., Explain what you know
about...; or Discuss your understanding of…) promote learner inquiry and are considered more effective
than closed-ended questions or prompts (e.g., Name the parts of…; or What is the name of…?). The
inquiry-based activities in the Cooking

These activities combine cooking as a life skill along with reading, sequencing, working
together, following directions, etc.

I can also easily tie this activity into IEP goals and the SOLs (VA Standards of Learni
Demonstration method can be exercised in several ways. It provide opportunity in learning new
exploration and visual learning tasks from a different perspective. Teacher will be also a participant. He
will do the work with his students for their help.

Group learning is the main approach to organize collaborative learning. There are many collaborative
learning methods, which also can be considered as group learning methods and popularly used in
classroom based environment.

igsaw cooperative learning method, where students work together as a team to learn and
complete a task

Get Out of Here

‘Get Out of Here’ is a fun game I like to play right before the end of the day, right before recess, or
lunch. I stand in the doorway with either a set of Trivial Pursuit questions or flashcards.

In order to get out of my classroom you need to answer 3 questions correctly. If not, you head to the
back of the line and start over.

For students who answer those questions correctly, they can get out of my room earlier than others.
And who doesn’t love that?

Fast Facts
This game consists primarily of giving students 100 simple math problems and a limited amount of
time to use them. I use this daily with my elementary students and tutoring students.

The whole idea is to get your students to understand these math problems so well that it becomes
rote. For 100 problems for a 3rd grader, give them 5 minutes; a 4th grader gets four minutes; a
5th grader gets three minutes; and a 6th grader gets one minute.

This same idea can be applied to pronunciation of words. With two students, give one a timer and
the other has 100 words that they have to say correctly. The same time structure applies too. It’s
quick, it’s easy, and it’s a great way to work on a skill

Scavenger Hunts
Scavenger hunts are a lot of fun, but they definitely take some planning to get set up. The
great thing is, they can be used for nearly every subject.

I like to set up a scavenger hunt for when starting new social studies, science, or reading
units. I go through the material beforehand and I create questions, fill-in-the-blank, pictures,
dates, people – anything that I want my students to really know before we get into the unit.
And then I put them into small groups and they have to search the textbooks,
encyclopedias, online, and around the classroom for the clues.
If I’m really on my game (meaning I’ve had enough coffee) I try to get other classrooms
involved and have students go to visit there for clues. It’s so much fun. I’ve tried doing
scavenger hunts when doing nature units – but that does present the logistics on keeping
an eye on all students, so plan accordingly if you decide to go that route.

Student-made Games
Who doesn’t like to showcase their skills, knowledge, or talents? Everyone does. Which is
why it is so much fun to see your students get to shine when they create the games that are
used in class.

This is something I normally don’t start to do until after the winter break; mainly because I
want the chance to utilize a variety of games in my class long enough that my students
really understand how to implement their own versions.

But, literally every game listed here could become a student made game. And, if you are
worried about time or having it not being educational enough – make having your students
make the game count as a formal assessment

Entry/Exit Tickets

Entry & Exit tickets are short prompts that provide instructors with a quick student
diagnostic. These exercises can be collected on 3”x5” cards, small pieces of paper, or online
through a survey or course management system.

 Entry tickets focus student attention on the day’s topic or ask students to recall
background knowledge relevant to the day’s lesson: e.g., “Based on the readings for class
today, what is your understanding of ___________?”
 Exit tickets collect feedback on students’ understanding at the end of a class and
provide the students with an opportunity to reflect on what they have learned. They can
be helpful in prompting the student to begin to synthesize and integrate the information
gained during a class period. For example, a muddiest point prompt: “What was the
muddiest point in today’s class?” or “What questions do you still have about today’s
lecture?”.
Advantages of entrance and exit tickets include: participation of each student, prompt for
students to focus on key concepts and ideas, a high return of information for the amount of
time invested, important feedback for the instructor that can be useful to guide teaching
decisions (e.g., course pacing, quick clarification of small misunderstandings, identification
of student interests and questions).
Learn more about entry and exit tickets, and see examples.

Free Writing/Minute Paper/Question of the Day Exercise

These are activities that prompt students to write a response to an open question and can be
done at any time during a class. Writing activities are usually 1-2 minutes, and can focus on
key questions and ideas or ask students to make predictions. These activities give students
the opportunity to organize their own thoughts, or can be collected by the teacher to gain
feedback from the students. Advantages include developing students’ abilities to think
holistically and critically, and improving their writing skills.

Learn more about one-minute papers and see examples.

Ice Breakers

Ice Breakers are low-stakes activities that get students to interact and talk to each other, and
encourage subsequent classroom interactions. They can be useful at the beginning of the
semester: for example, asking students to introduce themselves to each other and what they
would like to learn in the course. Advantages of icebreakers include: participation of each
student, the creation of a sense of community and focusing students’ attention on material
that will be covered during the class period.

Learn more about ice breakers and see examples.

Think–Pair–Share

This type of activity first asks students to consider a question on their own, and then
provides an opportunity for students to discuss it in pairs, and finally together with the
whole class. The success of these activities depends on the nature of the questions posed.
This activity works ideally with questions to encourage deeper thinking, problem-solving,
and/or critical analysis. The group discussions are critical as they allow students to
articulate their thought processes.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Pose a question, usually by writing it on the board or projecting it.

2. Have students consider the question on their own (1 – 2 min).
3. Then allow the students form groups of 2-3 people.
4. Next, have students discuss the question with their partner and share their ideas and/or
contrasting opinions (3 min).
5. Re-group as a whole class and solicit responses from some or all of the pairs (3 min).
Advantages of the think-pair-share include the engagement of all students in the classroom
(particularly the opportunity to give voice to quieter students who might have difficulty
sharing in a larger group), quick feedback for the instructor (e.g., the revelation of student
misconceptions), encouragement and support for higher levels of thinking of the students.

Learn more about think-pair-share and see examples.

Case Studies and Problem-Based Learning

Case studies are scenarios that apply concepts learned in class to a “real-life” situation.
They are usually presented in narrative form and often involve problem-solving, links to
course readings or source materials, and discussions by groups of students, or the entire
class. Usually, case studies are most effective if they are presented sequentially, so that
students receive additional information as the case unfolds, and can continue to analyze or
critique the situation/problem.

Guiding questions lead students through the activity. The questions should be designed to
develop student’s critical thinking by asking students to distinguish between fact and
assumptions, and critically analyze both the process they take in solving the case study as
well as the solution itself. Example questions include:

 What is the situation? What questions do you have?

 What problem(s) need to be solved? What are some solution strategies? Evaluate
pros/cons and underlying assumptions of these strategies.
 What information do you need? Where/how could you find it?
 What criteria will you use to evaluate your solution?
There are many collections of case studies publically available in a variety of disciplines.

Learn more about case studies and explore collections.

Problem-based learning activities are similar to case studies but usually focus on
quantitative problems. In some cases the problems are designed to introduce the material
as well as provide students with a deeper learning opportunity.

Learn more about problem-based learning and see examples.

The advantages of problem-based learning activities and case studies include developing
students problem solving and decision making skills, develop student’s critical thinking
skills encouraging critical reflection and enabling the appreciation of ambiguity in
situations.

Debate

Engaging in collaborative discourse and argumentation enhances student’s conceptual

understandings and refines their reasoning abilities. Stage a debate exploiting an arguable
divide in the day’s materials. Give teams time to prepare, and then put them into argument
with a team focused on representing an opposing viewpoint. Advantages include practice in
using the language of the discipline and crafting evidence-based reasoning in their
arguments.

Learn more about debate.

Interview or Role Play

Members of the class take the part or perspective of historical figures, authors, or other
characters and must interact from their perspective. Breakdown the role play into specific
tasks to keep students organized and to structure them so that the content you want to cover
is addressed. Preparation work can be assigned for outside of class, so clearly
communicating your expectations is essential. Advantages include motivation to solve a
problem or to resolve a conflict for the character, providing a new perspective through
which students can explore or understand an issue and the development of skills, such as
writing, leadership, coordination, collaboration and research.

Learn more about role play.

Interactive Demonstrations
Interactive demonstrations can be used in lectures to demonstrate the application of a
concept, a skill, or to act out a process. The exercise should not be passive; you should plan
and structure your demonstration to incorporate opportunities for students to reflect and
analyze the process.

1. Introduce the goal and description of the demonstration.

2. Have students think-pair-share (see above) to discuss what they predict may happen, or
to analyze the situation at hand (“pre-demonstration” state or situation).
3. Conduct the demonstration.
4. Students discuss and analyze the outcome (either in pairs/small groups, or as a whole
class), based on their initial predictions/interpretations.
Advantages of interactive demonstrations include novel visualizations of the material and
allowing students to probe their own understanding by asking if they can predict the
outcome of the demo. They are also a venue for providing applications of ideas or concepts.

Learn more about interactive demonstrations.

Jigsaw

A Jigsaw is a cooperative active learning exercise where students are grouped into teams to
solve a problem or analyze a reading. These can be done in one of two ways – either each
team works on completing a different portion of the assignment and then contributes their
knowledge to the class as a whole, or within each group, one student is assigned to a portion
of the assignment (the jigsaw comes from the bringing together the various ideas at the end
of the activity to produce a solution to the problem). In a jigsaw the activity must be divided
into several equal parts, each of which is necessary to solving a problem, or answering a
question. Example activities include implementing experiments, small research projects,
analyzing and comparing datasets, and working with professional literature. The advantages
of the jigsaw include the ability to explore substantive problems or readings, the
engagement of all students with the material and in the process of working together,
learning from each other, and sharing and critical analyzing a diversity of ideas.

Fun Review Activities, Classroom

Games to Do Now
By: Janelle Cox

Reviewing material can be so boring. Not only is it boring for you to teach, but think about
how your students feel! When reviewing for a unit or state exam, try to incorporate activities
and classroom games that engage students, not bore them. The trick is to make it so
much fun that the students don’t even realize they are reviewing material. Try a few of these
teacher-tested ideas below, they will have the material mastered before you know it.

Classroom Games

Turn review time into fun time with games. A review game is the perfect solution to get
students working together. Here are a few to try out.

Jeopardy! – This fun game can be done using the Smartboard, PowerPoint, or just on the
blackboard. You can find downloadable Jeopardy formats on the Internet, or create own. To
begin, create questions and answers worth a specific amount of points. Divide the students
into two teams and have each team choose a number. Their goal is to answer the question
that is attached to the number they chose.

Pass the Chicken – You will need to purchase a rubber chicken for this fun review game.
To begin, have students sit in a circle. Randomly ask one student a review question while
the rubber chicken gets passed around the circle. If the rubber chicken arrives back at the
student before he/she answers they must go to the middle (the pot) of the circle. The
chicken is then passed to the next person, and so on. If the next student does not get the
answer correct, then ask the students in the “pot” if they know the answer. If they do, then
they may get out of the pot and go back to the circle. Be sure to enlist a few safety rules, the
students can tend to get rough with the rubber chicken.

Monopoly – For this review game, each student is on his own, there are no teams. Each
student receives the same amount of Monopoly money. They are allowed to wager their
money based on how confident they know the answer to the review question you ask. If
they get the question correct, they keep the money, if they are wrong their money goes to
the next person who gets the answer correct. At the end of the game they can cash their
money in for prizes.

The Hot Seat – For this review game, have one student sit facing the class. Write
a vocabulary word on the board behind their seat. The audience raises their hands and
the “Hot Seat” student can call on three students for clues to guess the word. Change the
“Hot Seat” student if they don’t get the word correct.
Ping Pong – Divide students into two teams. Students work as a team to answer a review
question. Then, if they answer it correctly they get a chance to bounce a ball into one of
three plastic cups to get a prize for their team. Prizes can be a homework pass, free time,
extra computer time, lunch in the classroom, and so on.

Family Feud – Divide students into two teams. One person from each team must go
against one another to answer a review question. If they get it right their team gets a point.
To engage the other students while they are playing, have the rest of the team write the
answers to the questions in their journals.

Bingo – Review bingo is another classroom favorite. To change it up a bit, use candy as
the markers. Have students program their bingo cards with their vocabulary words and pull
questions randomly.

Beach Ball – Purchase a white beach ball and write a variety of review questions on the
ball. Then have students sit on top of their desks. The goal of this game is to play catch.
When a student catches the ball, the must answer the question their right thumb is touching.

Headbands – A fun spin on the popular game headbands is to write a review term on a
post-it note. Each student must stick the note to her forehead without looking at it. Their
goal is to figure out what the term on the forehead is. For example, if one person had the
word “nectar” on his sticky note, their team members would give them clues, such as a
sugar-rich liquid, it attracts pollinating animals, and so on.

Spin the Wheel – Create a wheel with a variety of review questions on it. Then randomly
call upon students to come up and spin the wheel to see if they can answer the question
correctly.

There are a lot of great review games out there. Anyone that you choose will help students
learn the material. Just make sure that you keep anything that you make yourself so can
reuse it again next year.

What are you favorite review activities to do with students? Please share your ideas
in the comment section below. We would love to hear your thoughts.

Games, Contests & Puzzles: Entertaining Ideas for Educating Students

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General Academic

Teachers can take heart in the good news that students are likely to make meaningful progress toward
instructional goals when they engage in regular drill, practice, and review of academic material.
Instructors must also face the bad news, though, that students often find such activities to be tedious
and unmotivating. One powerful strategy that successful teachers use to lend interest to academic drill,
practice, and review is to structure these learning opportunities so that they contain elements of 'fun.'
Like most of us, students are engaged by game-like tasks that are novel or unexpected, include various
rewards, foster a safe level of competition, or promote positive and cooperative social interactions.

Read on for some ideas on how to adapt common games to promote student learning, to change quiz
formats to make them more enjoyable, and to introduce other classroom activities that educate
students in an entertaining manner. While these strategies may appear to be designed simply to be fun,
don't be misled. Each strategy has the potential to push students to take a more active role in recalling
and applying previously taught academic content.

Games Students (Will Want to) Play(adapted from Maguire, 1990)

Magazine Scavenger Hunt.

The teacher creates a list of 10 to 15 items (e.g., places, objects, people) that relate to the academic
subject being reviewed (e.g., a variety of landmarks, commercial products, and popular foods from
Texas.) The teacher puts out a pile of old magazines likely to have pictures of the items being sought.
The class is divided into teams of no more than 5 students. Each team is given a stack of magazines and
the teacher-prepared Scavenger Hunt list, and instructed to find and cut out pictures of as many items
from the list as possible within a certain time span (e.g., 20 minutes). At the end of the allotted time, all
teams present their pictures to the class. The team who has found the most items wins.

Password: Academic Edition.

The teacher puts together a list of course-related terms that students should know. (If possible, terms
should refer to persons, concepts, or objects that can be easily described or hinted at using single nouns
or adjectives.) Each term is written onto a small piece of paper and placed into a hat or other container.
The class is divided into pairs of students. The teacher rotates around the room, starting with the closest
pair. The teacher draws a slip from the container and hands it to one of the student.
The student reads the word on the slip. If the word seems too difficult, the student can say 'pass' and
simply hand the word to the next pair in line.

If the student accepts the word, he or she states to the partner a synonym of the word or another term
that is logically related. (Note: The student may utter only a single one-word clue!)

The partner then uses the clue to guess what the original term on the slip of paper might be.

If the partner correctly guesses the term, the pair earns a point. If the partner incorrectly guesses the
term, the next pair in line is given the word (and starts steps 1-4 over again).

The game ends when all of the terms have given out. The team that has collected the most points at the
close of the game wins.

Review-Question Bingo.

This game is played according to the traditional Bingo rules but adds a crucial requirement: students
who get Bingo can win only if they and the rest of their team is able successfully to answer a series of
review questions.

The teacher makes up Bingo cards for the class. A student Bingo 'card' is made by drawing a grid of five
vertical dividing lines and 5 horizontal dividing lines onto a sheet of paper. (The boxes of the grid should
be about an inch square.) In the first horizontal line, the teacher picks 5 numbers randomly from 1-20
and writes them into the boxes. Moving to the second line, the teacher selects 5 random numbers from
21 to 40 and writes them in any order into the boxes. The teacher does the same in the third line with
random numbers from 41 to 60, the fourth line with random numbers from 61 to 80, and the fifth line
with random numbers from 81 to 100.

Next, the teacher cuts a sheet of paper into 100 small squares. Squares are numbered 1 to 100 and are
placed in a hat or other container.

The teacher also prepares a list of 10-20 review questions drawn from academic material covered in the
course. (The teacher should prepare enough review questions for several Bingo games.)

# Finally, the teacher decides on what to offer as 'prizes' to winning Bingo teams.

Next, students are divided into groups of 4-5 students. Each student is given markers (e.g., scraps of
paper) to mark off Bingo squares, with additional markers available if needed. The teacher is the caller
for the game, drawing numbered squares from the hat and calling them out. When a number is called,
students whose cards contain that number place a marker on it. The first player who has filled in a
vertical, horizontal, or diagonal line with markers calls out "Bingo!" Now the fun starts! Before the
student and their team can claim a prize, they must correctly answer five review questions read off by
the teacher. (It is up to the teacher to decide whether the winning student consults other team
members and gives the answers as the team spokesperson or whether any team member can call out an
answer.) If the team misses a single question, the Bingo game continues. When another "BINGO!" is
called, the winning team must again answer a series of new questions before claiming their prizes.

Twenty Questions.

This activity is a variation of the well-known parlor game and works well with small groups or the whole
class. The instructor picks three categories relevant to the academic subject. If, for example, the topic is
American history, three suitable categories might be dates, people, and events. Each student is given a
turn to select a topic relevant to their coursework, which they keep secret. The student starts the
questioning off by announcing the category the topic belongs to (e.g., "I am thinking of an…event.") The
group then peppers the student with questions in an attempt to guess the topic (e.g., "Did the event
occur during wartime?") But the student can only answer yes or no to each question! When members of
the group believe that they know the answer, they can call it out an any time ("Is it Pearl Harbor?").
(Guesses don't count as questions.) Students who make incorrect guesses, though, must drop out for
the rest of the game! The group must use no more than 20 questions to successfully guess the topic in
order to win the game.

Teacher-Led Version: The teacher version of Twenty Questions is run the same as the student-led
version, except that the teacher selects the topic and fields all questions.

Word Lightning.

Prior to the game, the teacher comes up with a list of topics that relate to the academic subject being
reviewed. (As a simple example, a biology teacher reviewing a unit on ecosystems might select the
topics "wetlands", "deserts", and "mountain regions") For each topic, the teacher also selects a letter of
the alphabet. (It is best to select letters like "B" or "E" that are commonly found at the start of words
and to avoid letters such as "X" that are uncommon word-starters.) Students are divided into teams of
4-5. From the prepared list, the teacher gives the first team an academic topic and its associated letter.
The teacher sets a timer and gives the team 1 minute to call out as many words as they can that start
with the given letter and relate to the topic. The teacher keeps count of the total number of words
called out. (The teacher is sole judge of whether a questionable word is allowed to count as 'relating to
the topic'.) The teacher then gives a new topic and letter to the next team and repeats the process. The
game continues until all teams have had at least one turn. All team scores are posted on the blackboard;
the highest-scoring team is declared the winner.

TIP: Add a real flurry of activity to this game by giving teams their topic and letter and allowing them 60
seconds of preparation to comb through the text book or course notes to find eligible terms just before
they begin the timed 1-minute call-out period. (Note: During the preparation phase, team members
cannot talk to each other or write down terms that they find. They can only commit terms silently to
memory!)
Putting a New Spin on Quizzes

Competitive Quiz Teams & Random Prize Points.

This idea uses the elements of within-team cooperation, between-team competition, and random
assignment of prize points to motivate students. The teacher, as quizmaster, prepares review questions
prior to the quiz. Each question should be based on instructional information previously covered in class
and have a brief, unambiguous answer (e.g., "What major European battle brought an end to Napoleon
I's attempt to return to power in France?"). Divide the class into two or more teams. Cycle among the
teams as you read off the questions. When a question has been read to the team, the team has 15
seconds to huddle and decide as a group on an answer. The team spokesperson announces the answer
to the quizmaster and roles a die to determine the amount of the team's random prize points. The
quizmaster then tells the team whether their answer is correct.

If the team gives the correct response, the prize points are added to their score. If the team gives the
wrong answer, (a) the prize points are deducted from their score, and (b) other teams can attempt to
answer the same question-but face the possibility of gaining or losing the same number of prize points.

TIPS: Allow students to choose names for their teams. Assign students to draft quiz questions and
answers as s a review exercise and select the best of them for this activity.

Extra-Credit 'Kickoff' Quizzes.

The instructor creates brief (1-3 item) weekly quizzes for students to complete at the start of class.
Students are given a time limit (e.g., 5-10 minutes) to complete the quiz. Quiz questions should be
constructed to require that students recall recent course content in order to answer them correctly. A
key to making these quizzes motivating to students is to count them as extra credit (e.g., students have
the option of replacing a single test grade in the course with their aggregate kickoff quiz grade, etc.).
TIPS: If you have students who need extended time to complete the quiz, assign it as an optional take-
home assignment. Invite students to submit their own quiz questions for you to use. Permit students to
consult their textbook and class notes as needed during the quiz (to encourage them to actually use
these materials!) Allow students to work together in small groups to complete the quiz. Individualize
quizzes for those students in your room with special needs by including additional supports (e.g.,
excerpts from text, additional clues or hints) to ensure a high probability of success.

Quizzes Developed by Student Teams.

Teachers can tap the cooperative and competitive spirit of students at the same time with this activity.
(The most valuable review of instruction occurs as students prepare quiz questions for their classmates!)
To prepare, the teacher first creates a general template for students to follow in preparing a class quiz.
(E.g., the quiz must always contain 5 multiple-choice items and one essay question.) The class is divided
into groups of 4-5 students. Each group is assigned a section of the material covered in the course and
directed to prepare a short quiz and answer-key based on that material. (Groups should of course
consult their notes and course text to create the quiz.) When the student quizzes are ready, the teacher
looks them over to be sure that items are 'tough but fair' and that answers are correct.

Next, groups are paired off. Students in Group 1 in each pair take Group 2's quiz, and vice versa.
Students then grade the quiz they took using the supplied answer key. The teacher permits students
who do well on the quiz to count it as extra credit or toward an 'effort' or class participation grade.

TIPS: Because this activity may take more than one session to complete, teachers will probably want to
reserve it to prepare students for key examinations (e.g., midterms, finals). Collect the best items from
each quiz to include in later student tests or as review questions.

Spicing Up Review: Other Ideas

Classtime Commercials: A Learning Break.

To tap the interest of media-savvy students, the teacher can assign pairs or teams of them to create a 1-
3-minute 'commercial' that reviews key instructional content. (Teachers will get probably get the best
results in this activity if they frame the assignment as a specific goal: e.g., "Barry and Susan, your job is
to create a TV or radio commercial that shows the viewer or listener the steps to follow when
completing a 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication problem.") Students should be encouraged to be as
creative as their imaginations and available resources permit. (For instance, students asked to create a
commercial about how to compute multiplication problems might decide to convert the steps of the
math operation into a catchy jingle and put it to original music.) Each team then has an opportunity to
present their 'commercials' to the class.

TIPS: Invite other classrooms to attend the premiere performance of your student 'classtime
commercials'. Or volunteer your students present their commercials in other rooms. Encourage students
to videotape or audiotape the best of their commercials and archive them to use in future situations
with students who need to review a particular academic topic.

Learning Fair.
Students are divided into groups. Each group is given an academic topic, concept, or operation and
instructed to work together to construct a brief (e.g., 5-minute) interesting, interactive lesson to teach
it. Groups are encouraged to draw diagrams or use other visual aids as appropriate to illustrate key
point(s) of the lesson and to create group activities to demonstrate that their 'students' have mastered
the lesson content. Then the classroom or other school space is converted into a 'learning fair'. Each
group is allocated a table and wall space to set up their lesson. The class moves from one learning
station to another, participating in the short lessons and asking questions. TIP: If students from other
classrooms would benefit from your class's learning fair, you may want to set it up in a convenient
common space (e.g., gymnasium) and invite teachers to bring their students in to take part.

Mystery Stories.

Students love mysteries. Teachers can take advantage of this interest by creating short 'detective-story'-
like narratives that pose a puzzle. To find the solution, students must recall important facts, concepts,
and ideas covered in the course. Here is a sample 'mystery story that could be used in a geography
course:

Story: A captain is sailing her freighter in the Pacific Ocean. Ten hours later, she is in the Atlantic Ocean.
In getting from the Pacific to the Atlantic, the boat was lifted 26 meters above sea level. During the
entire trip, the boat never left the water. How was this trip accomplished?

Answer: The boat traveled through the Panama Canal (which lifts boats 26 vertical meters to the level of
Lake Gatun-the Canal's interior waterway-- and back down again).

TIP: Also use mystery stories when introducing a topic to build student interest and activate prior
student knowledge about the topic.

Stump the Teacher.

Instructors who feel confident of their mastery of an academic subject area can offer to take on all
challengers. The teacher invites students to come up with difficult questions (and matching answers)
about a specific topic being studied. (It is up to the teacher whether students are allowed to base
questions only on material drawn from the text book, or whether they can also venture into other
assigned readings, or-if the teacher is really daring--any outside source for their items.) On regularly
scheduled occasions, time is set aside in the classroom schedule for interested students to read off their
questions. The teacher attempts to answer each question off the top of her or his head. If the teacher
answers the question correctly, she or he gets bragging rights; if the student stumps the teacher,
though, he or she wins points or some other reward or incentive (e.g., a 'Get Out of 1 Homework
Assignment Free' pass). If there is disagreement between teacher and student over the correct answer,
a peer (student) group can be deputized on the spot to resolve the dispute (but they have to give a
rationale for their decision!)
NOTE: Students should be given common-sense, fair guidelines that they must follow when playing this
game: e.g., student questions should have answers that are brief (e.g., can be answered in a single short
sentence), based on fact rather than opinion, and do not depend on puns, riddles, or wordplay.

Tour Guide.

In this assignment, students prepare and present an entertaining 'travelogue' that will help the class to
experience a region as if they were tourists traveling through that locale. It can make potentially dull
subjects vivid and interesting! Students are divided into groups. Each group is given a country or
geographical region to research on the Internet. The presenters can spice up their travelogue with maps,
sound files, excerpts from explorers' journals, or digital photos. They may wish to describe road
conditions, foods eaten in the region, brief historical highlights, major cities--any information that will
paint a three dimensional portrait of the area.

TIP: This assignment can be adapted to a range of subjects, including history ("Let's take a trip to Rome
in the first century A.D."), literature ("We are going to embark on a tour of the theater district in
Elizabethan London!") and even science ("As our spaceship of tourists approaches the edge of the solar
system, the ship's radar begins to pick up the faint signals of ancient comets floating like sooty snowballs
in the Oort Cloud.")