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Creative Teaching: Turn Any Worksheet into a Game
Creativity in the classroom is an every day occurrence at MJS. When students are engaged and excited about learning connections are made and growth happens. History teacher and Professional Development liaison, Nicole Wirth shares stories from the classroom and creative ideas in her teaching blog, “ What are Your Priorities Today?” Here is an excerpt from a current post:
Find Someone Who:
A great cooperative learning structure for turning the mundane into a game that gets students talking, learning and out of their seats!
by Nicole Wirth
I took the most important things in my syllabus and made a simple fill-in-the-blank worksheet. Under each question, I left a space for the answer and a signature.
The first student to get 13 answers and signatures ended the game. The winners were the students who got the most right answers. Therefore, students who hadn’t finished still had a chance to win. As we went through the answers as a class, I clarified things in my syllabus and left time for questions. I have never seen the kids have so much fun learning about a syllabus! 6th grader, Samuel S. approached me at the end of class and asked, “Are we going to do more fun games like that in history?” #win
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Find Someone Who:
A great cooperative learning structure for turning the mundane into a game that gets students talking, learning and out of their seats!
by Nicole Wirth
I hate going over the syllabus with my students. I find it boring and it requires a lot of talking from me and inactive listening from my students. In the end, my students still ask me questions throughout the year I explicitly answered in my syllabus.
Therefore, I decided last year to scrap that from the first or second day of class.
Therefore, I decided last year to scrap that from the first or second day of class.
Instead, I told the kids to go home and read the syllabus with their parents. I announced that the following day we will play a game and it will really help them in the game if they knew the syllabus.
I took the most important things in my syllabus and made a simple fill-in-the-blank worksheet. Under each question, I left a space for the answer and a signature.
The next day, I gave students three minutes to study the syllabus in their table groups. I announced that the game will be played as individuals and not as a team (although this could be easily modified to allow for pairs) and therefore each student needs to be an expert on the syllabus. When I said, “Go!” students walked around finding others who knew the answers to the questions. Each person was only allowed to answer and sign each paper once, including his or her own. Since there were 13 questions, students had to talk to at least 12 other classmates. They became experts on many questions as the worksheets began filling up with signatures and they were forced to answer new questions.
The first student to get 13 answers and signatures ended the game. The winners were the students who got the most right answers. Therefore, students who hadn’t finished still had a chance to win. As we went through the answers as a class, I clarified things in my syllabus and left time for questions. I have never seen the kids have so much fun learning about a syllabus! 6th grader, Samuel S. approached me at the end of class and asked, “Are we going to do more fun games like that in history?” #win
Mayfield Junior School
405 South Euclid Avenue, Pasadena, California 91101 626.796.2774
Located in Pasadena, California, Mayfield Junior School of the Holy Child Jesus is a K-8 Catholic coeducational private school. Our kindergarten, elementary school, and middle school experience best prepares students for high school education and beyond.
