ZAP!

Can I tell you about a game that both I and my students love?

First of all they love it because they think they can be loud and obnoxious (which they can) while playing it...they can.

I love it because they have to complete a boring review worksheet, but then check and confirm the answers with their "team" and if they don't agree they have to explain and convince the other person why they are right!

Ok, here is ZAP!

Split the students up into two teams.  Have them complete a worksheet ideally with the number of questions as you have students.  I have 18 students and had them do a 12 question worksheet so had to make a few questions up at the end.  Today it actually got really good and suspenseful!

Basically you are going to alternate between the two teams to answer the questions.  The nice thing is that before you start you let them collaborate. This way they all have the correct answer and if you are monitoring while they collaborate you are making sure they explain why instead of just forcing the answer on the other person.

Now when you call on a student it must be quiet the student you call must give the answer, when they get it correct (which they should since they collaborated) they pull a stick from the ZAP jar.  The sticks are EVERYTHING in this game and range from +2, to -20, ZAP! which brings you back to 0, ZAP the other team! and 10 second dance party.
It is freaking awesome on so many levels!
First of all they are completing a boring review worksheet and confirming their answers and making sure like their life depends on it that they have it right.
Then for the game, since the sticks are so wacky it means that the "smart" group isn't always going to win.
Finally similar to above, since it is so random, the kids love it!!

I totally use this for test review, since I tell them to take their papers home to study, this way I know they have the right answers.

Like I said today was the perfect example of ZAP!  One team was up 28 points the other had -14 and the negative team ended up winning with a ZAP and a few other sticks.

Another benefit is I teach 3rd grade, they are already learning a context for negative numbers!!!!  My -14 team was wishing for a zap to bring them to zero...  Gotta love it!!!