Category Archives: — Browse All —

Family Feud!

Posted on by
  1. Divide the class into two teams.
  2. One member of each team faces the other in a face-off as the SIL reads the question off the game board.
  3. The team that buzzed in with the correct answer receives control of the board and has the option of playing or passing control to the other team.
  4. The team that has the control tries to reveal all of the correct answers to the question before receiving three strikes.
  5. If the team receives three strikes without clearing the board, control is passed to the other team.
  6. The team that now has the control is able to give one answer in the hopes that it is found on the board.
  7. If it is, points are added to the team’s score. If not, the other team gets the points.
  8. Points are collected as each team finds its answers to the question on the board.
  9. Continue the game repeating steps two through seven.
  10. Each team tries to collect the most points. The team with the most points wins the game! (Click on Team 1 or Team 2 on the Score slide to move to the You’ve Won slide.) Modification Suggestions Add/change sound effects. Bring a bell or something similar to make noise to decide who answered the question first.

Find a Family Feud template to use here: https://www.iup.edu/teachingexcellence/reflective-practice/past-events/2008-09/sample-games-to-be-used-in-the-classroom/instructions-for-playing-family-feud/

Thanks to Devyn Tilley for finding this awesome resource!

3 Part Problem Solving

Posted on by

“I took practice problems and broke it into three parts. The first part is where I would verbally write down what steps I would take to approach a problem so everyone could “see” what was going on in my brain. I emphasized that if the students do these exact steps for these specific problems they would never miss them. This helps grab their attention by saying “oh shoot, if I follow these steps then there’s no way I can miss this on a test”. The second step is where I would take the steps I wrote down and apply it to a specific practice problem. This helps the students see how I approach the problem and see which parts of my technique they can take and use for themselves. The third step of the main activity is when I would tell the students to work together with their neighbors on the next problem that involved similar concepts but instead of a “level 1” problem, I would make them do a “level 2″ problem. This allowed them to see that if they apply the steps given before, it doesn’t matter if they were given an easy or hard problem on an exam; giving them more confidence on the topic.”

– Andrew T. (PHYS 201)

Moving Multiple Choice

Posted on by

This is a variation of 4 Corners.

Materials Needed: A, B, C, and D letters (8.5 x 11) & Multiple Choice Questions

Preparation: Prepare a few multiple choice questions to use. They should be over concepts that the class was having a hard time with or that they will be tested on. The questions could also come from past class quizzes to review.

Activity:
1. Place the letters in four different parts of the classroom.
2. Ask a question from your list to the class, allow time for the students to move
around the classroom and stand beneath the letter response they think is
correct.
3. Once students have finished moving where they think the answer is, have a
discussion by asking students to explain why they chose that answer. After
all the groups have had a chance to discuss allow students to move again to
their final answer.
4. Now explain which letter was the correct answer that you or the professor
were looking for and see if there are any questions about the answer.
5. Continue through the questions on your list in the same manner.

from Utah State University

Stump the Chump: SI vs. Students

Posted on by

Materials Needed: None

Preparation: Based on your learning objectives for the session, select a concept or topic that you want students to review in depth. Create questions at various learning levels to ask the students. Ensure that you are well-prepared to answer any type of question regarding the concept or topic.

Create a scoring matrix on the whiteboard.

Procedure:
1. Ask students to take five minutes to write the most difficult questions they can
think of relating to the topic you chose. One way to do this is to ask them to
create the type of questions the professor presents on exams.

2. Ask the students to quickly compare their questions with their neighbors and
select the most difficult questions to ask you. If you cannot answer the question,
the students have “stumped the chump”, and they get a point. If you can answer
their question, you get a point.

3. You then ask students a question from your list. If they get it right, they get a
point.

4. Continue to alternate between students asking you questions and you asking
students questions. Ensure that all answers are discussed, including where the
information was obtained, why the answers are correct, and how each answer
relates to other topics or concepts presented in class.

5. Consider having some type of “incentive” for students if they win, such as candy

Variation: Use this method to preview content. Ask students to look at the next chapter in the book and create questions and answers to ask you. You can also come up with questions from the next chapter, but in this variation, give students time to look up the answers in the textbook. 

from Utah State University

One Minute Paper

Posted on by

Materials Needed: None

Preparation: Develop a question on material that was reviewed in the session and for which you want to assess how
well students learned and understood what they need to know. You can also use the One Minute Paper
to assess what questions students still have about the material that was reviewed. For example: What
do you still find particularly confusing about ?

Procedure:
1. Ask students to use a blank piece of paper to respond to your question.
2. Provide 1-2 minutes for students to write a response.
3. You can present a question at the end of a session or during a session after a specific concept
has been reviewed.
4. Collect the students’ papers.
5. After your session, review students’ responses to evaluate how well they understood the concept
in question or to identify questions students still have.
6. Respond to the One Minute Papers when planning your next session.
7. Depending on what students presented in their papers, you may also discuss with your professor
the concepts that students identified were difficult or confusing

from Utah State University

Reorder the Steps

Posted on by

Materials Needed: None

Preparation: Choose a concept reviewed in the session that involves a process or procedure, such as mitosis; how a
bill passes in Congress; solving a chemistry problem.

Procedure:
1. Present the process, procedure, or problem solution in random order.
2. Ask students to correctly sequence the steps. This can be an individual or group effort.
3. Ask students to explain the sequence they chose. It is important to ask students to explain their answers so you can discover areas of confusion and provide additional review and explanation, as necessary.
4. Conclude by asking one student to review out loud the correct sequence.

from Utah State University

Select the BEST Response

Posted on by

Materials Needed: A copy of questions for each student or questions presented electronically via document camera or PowerPoint

Preparation: Prepare several multiple choice questions that require students to select the best answer. Include
answers that are all correct, but one is the most relevant or appropriate based on the question asked. This
teaching strategy helps students develop critical thinking and effective test taking strategies.

Procedure:
1. Ask students to answer each of the multiple choice questions as an individual effort, just as if they
were taking a test.
2. When they have completed answering all of the questions, call on students to present and
discuss the answers, including why the correct answer is the best response for the question
asked.

from Utah State University

Peer Lessons

Posted on by
  • Select several practice problems over related material
  • Divide students into 4-5 groups. Give each group one problem and have them write out the solution, using their textbooks and class notes, on the board.
  • Have each group come up and explain the problem in as much detail as they can, showing their thought processes and methods to finding the solution.
  • The SI Leader adds or corrects information where needed. 

Variation: This can easily be done with course content topics as well by assigning each group a topic that they must gather information on and then present to the class.

In Your Own Words

Posted on by

For a Topic:

Assign a topic to a group (or individual). Have them a) take notes from the book/notes, b) write the notes in their own words, and finally c) write one word or phrase to summarize or remember the topic. You can use a matrix format to organize their thinking.

For a Vocabulary Word:

Assign a vocabulary word to a group (or individual). Have them a) write the definition from the book/notes, b) write the definition in their own words, and finally c) write one word or draw a picture to summarize or remember the term.

G.U.E.S.S

Posted on by

G.U.E.S.S is a problem solving method to help students organize their solutions and think critically about the process.

Example: A certain substance has a density of 1.69 g/mL and a mass of 24.0 g. What is the volume of this substance?