Crafting Killer Math Jeopardy Questions

Jeopardy is a fantastic, engaging way to review and reinforce mathematical concepts. However, a successful Math Jeopardy game hinges entirely on the quality and format of the questions—or rather, the answers—you provide. Unlike traditional quiz questions that test simple recall, Jeopardy requires students to perform a cognitive "inversion": they must supply the question that the given answer satisfies.

The best Math Jeopardy questions require students to apply concepts, state definitions, identify relationships, and use proper terminology. They should be challenging, yet fair, and cover a range of difficulty within each category.

Effective Math Jeopardy clues should prioritize conceptual understanding and precise terminology over simple calculation.  Focus on definitions and theorems. Ask for the name of a rule, theorem, or property, not just how to use it.  Consider highlighting relationships.  The clue should describe the relationship between two concepts or variables.

Use descriptive language as the  answer should be a detailed description or a diagram, requiring the student to identify the underlying concept. Emphasize proper notation by requiring students to name the precise mathematical symbol or notation. Avoid long, multi-step calculation problems; Jeopardy is about quick retrieval and conceptual identification.

Here are examples of the types of questions that work well across different branches of high school and early college mathematics:

Category	Value	The Clue (Answer)	The Response (Question)
Algebra	100	The property demonstrated by the statement $a(b+c)=ab+ac$.	What is the Distributive Property?
Algebra	400	The specific value that causes a rational function’s denominator to equal zero, resulting in a break in the graph.	What is a vertical asymptote?
Geometry	200	A quadrilateral with exactly one pair of parallel sides.	What is a trapezoid?
Geometry	500	This theorem states that the measure of an angle inscribed in a circle is half the measure of its intercepted arc.	What is the Inscribed Angle Theorem?
Trigonometry	300	The range of the function $y=\cos (\theta )$	What is $[-1,1]$?
Trigonometry	500	The term for the reciprocal of the tangent function.	What is the cotangent?
Calculus	400	The instantaneous rate of change of a function at a specific point.	What is the derivative?
Calculus	500	The specific condition required for a function $f(x)$ to be differentiable at a point $c$.	What is $f(x)$ must be continuous at $c$?

Here are some tips to make a better Jeopardy Game.  Use visual cues or diagrams.  This is important especially  for Geometry and Calculus, use a simple diagram as the "answer." For a high-value Geometry question, you could show a right triangle with sides a, b, and c, and the caption: "The statement $\sin (A)=a/c$." The question is "What is the SOH part of SOH CAH TOA?"

Next, ensure  there is only one correct response. For instance, rather than asking for "a measure of a line segment," specify: "The distance between two points on a circle that passes through the center." (The answer being: What is the diameter?)

Finally, make  the final question a multi-concept synthesis problem that connects two categories, forcing students to draw from their full bank of knowledge. For instance, the final clue could be about a  polynomial function with a degree of 3 that has an inflection point where the derivative equals zero.  The answer might be " What is a cubic function (or a point of local extrema)?"

By carefully crafting your Jeopardy clues to test for depth and application, you turn a simple review session into a stimulating and highly effective learning experience that solidifies core mathematical understanding. Let men now what you think I'd love to hear.  Have a great weekend.