Many students are not intrigued by learning or practicing vocabulary, yet we know it has a large bearing on how well students perform in the classroom. Vocabulary can make or break student understanding.
For a long time I have been a fan of the game Catch Phrase. It's basically a 'hot potato' game where there is a representative from a team describing a word or phrase to their team. No part of the word or phrase may be used. If the team guesses correctly, the team gets a point and gets another word. The team accumulates points until the timer buzzes. If the clue giver does not want to describe a word, they may pass. The kicker is that the time is different for each round. Part of what makes this game intense is that the timer sound gets faster and faster as it gets closer to the buzzer.
I have incorporated Catch Phrase into my classroom and it has been GREAT! Kids ask to play it again and again! I downloaded a free Catch Phrase app onto my phone. I use the app simply for the random-length timer. I make a PowerPoint with vocabulary I want the students to review/practice (one word/slide). Then I put 3 chairs in front of the projection screen, the team sits in these seats with their backs are to the screen, and the person calling out the clues faces the screen with the words projected from the PowerPoint. My students LOVE this game and even ask for more! An interesting by product of the activity, is it gives me really good insight as to what words/concepts students know and don't know. (How about that for formative assessment??) Try it today in your classroom and let me know how it goes!
For a long time I have been a fan of the game Catch Phrase. It's basically a 'hot potato' game where there is a representative from a team describing a word or phrase to their team. No part of the word or phrase may be used. If the team guesses correctly, the team gets a point and gets another word. The team accumulates points until the timer buzzes. If the clue giver does not want to describe a word, they may pass. The kicker is that the time is different for each round. Part of what makes this game intense is that the timer sound gets faster and faster as it gets closer to the buzzer.
I have incorporated Catch Phrase into my classroom and it has been GREAT! Kids ask to play it again and again! I downloaded a free Catch Phrase app onto my phone. I use the app simply for the random-length timer. I make a PowerPoint with vocabulary I want the students to review/practice (one word/slide). Then I put 3 chairs in front of the projection screen, the team sits in these seats with their backs are to the screen, and the person calling out the clues faces the screen with the words projected from the PowerPoint. My students LOVE this game and even ask for more! An interesting by product of the activity, is it gives me really good insight as to what words/concepts students know and don't know. (How about that for formative assessment??) Try it today in your classroom and let me know how it goes!