As an Atari-addicted, latchkey member of Generation X, I played a lot of Frogger as a child. Unfortunately, I lacked video game playing prowess, so my frogs were always hopping toward their death. What I remember most about those days (besides the bloop noise of my frog jumping across the road and the satisfactory musical accompaniment burned into the brain of every 80s child) is how much fun it was to play.
Games, whether frog based or not, are vital to student engagement. We need to play to learn.
Robert Marzano, The Godfather of educational research, has recently renewed his efforts to organize and categorize what works in schools. Along with John Hattie, they form a research power duo that every teacher should know. Both of them mark the power of games for learning. Marzano believes using academic games can provide friendly, low-stakes controversy as a powerful engagement tool. Hattie's research also cites play programs with a .50 effect size on student achievement and tactile stimulation programs with a .58 effect size.
If games are so vital to learning, why don't we play more of them in our classes? For some, it could be the prep work involved. For others, a lack of time. Thus, I suggest trying out some quick and easy old school games sure to make review for final exams into frogger-like fun.
How about these tried and true ways to review content as the end of the year approaches:
1. Jeopardy
The pinnacle of old school glory is a classroom Jeopardy game. In these new-fangled times, however, there are also cool tech tools we can use to quickly and easily play Jeopardy in any classroom. Slides Carnival has an interactive presentation that can be revised and ready to play in very little time. No matter how you choose to play, students will thrive on the strategy of picking categories and dollar amounts and will review content in a fun, competitive atmosphere.
2. Pictionary
If you were a fan of game nights in the 80s, you have surely played Pictionary. After it was invented by a young waiter, it sold over 38 million copies and became one of the most popular board games ever invented. To play it in class, all you need is some key vocabulary to review, a timer, and a surface where students can draw. The rules provided by The Teacher Toolkit can help with game setup in the classroom.
3. Jenga
Jenga was launched at a London toy fair in 1983. Since that time, players have enjoyed the intense focus necessary to keep those wooden blocks from crashing down. This game doesn't immediately call to mind classroom review, but the Active History Teacher Blog has some simple ideas for using a basic board game like Jenga as a unique review opportunity.
4. Heads Up
While a newer game idea, we can still enjoy Heads Up in old school ways. Instead of a fancy app or the adorable Headbanz version you find in stores. All we really need are some key concepts from the year on notecards and kids will go wild trying to guess as many as they can off their classmates' foreheads. The Vocabulary Luau teacher blog has ideas for incorporating Heads Up into a quick and fun review.
Our brains are wired for the friendly engagement offered by playing games. Even if you wanted to employ one of Matt Miller's tech templates, you could still play an old school game like Family Feud or Who Wants to Be a Millionaire with a new twist. No matter the means, playing review games is always a winning strategy.
As we complete that slow creep toward the end of the year, I hope your frogs are hopping their way toward classroom gaming greatness.
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