Jeff for America

On day two of my review for the big test, I went straight for good ol’ Jeopardy. I remember playing a version of it when I was in school, but the template I got over the summer is way cooler. It looks great and even has a Trebek audio intro with an audience applauding soundtrack. It works using powerpoint and a projector. I just customize it for our current unit before we play, and the kids totally get into it. For teachers reading this post, who haven’t done Jeopardy review, here is my approach.

I use plastic sheet protectors with plain white paper inside to make whiteboards. Each group (usually 4 – 5 people) gets one whiteboard and an expo marker. Make sure to explain to the kids that pushing the expo only ruins the marker. Advise them to use it lightly, or else you will be left with a lot worn-out markers. Don’t forget to give them a paper towel or cloth to use as an eraser between each round.

Then, the rules. Each team plays for every question, which is unlike the real Jeopardy. Whereas the game show penalizes you for wrong answers, this game just doesn’t award the wrong team any points. It’s a lot easier to keep track of points if you just add points, rather than subtract for wrong answers. Although every team answers each question, teams rotate the opportunity to choose the category and amount. It keeps every team invested in the game, and makes the overall management of the game more smooth.

In order to make sure each person is participating in the team, I make them rotate the whiteboard within their team for each round. This way, different people are writing the answers every couple minutes. After the question is revealed on the projector, teams are given 30 seconds to write their answers on the whiteboards before I ring the bell and their boards must be raised. I go from team to team and then tally the points. We always review the answer on the board and then move onto the next category and question. Every now and then I give a follow up question that offers ‘bonus points’ to the teams that correctly find the answer.

Believe it or not, the game can mesmerize even the most difficult of students for about an hour and 1/2. I even had a student complaining and being moody in the morning, but was totally rooting for her team 30 minutes later. It was a total turn around. While this type of Jeopardy-style review isn’t for everyone, it works in my classroom and actually ends up being a good barometer of most student’s mastery of the material. They follow along with a guided review sheet and submit it at the end of the period. It doesn’t hurt that I offer a prize for the wining team. And a hint that works every time: just give everyone a reward at the end of the game if things go well.

It turns out that the hardest part of Jeopardy days is controlling the competition. These kids treat the outcome of the game as if it were an Olympic sport. They try to outdo each other, and then diss other teams when they are behind. In the end, it’s just better to take away the competitive part and give them all something to celebrate. They will leave the room thinking they just won the lotto…but they really just studied for a final.

Note: If you want the Jeopardy template I use, just shoot me a comment or email and I’ll be happy to send it your way.

- Jeff