Guess This!

 I was reading an article on how visualization of concepts and vocabulary is important to understanding.  I know I usually just have students create a Frayer model for all new vocabulary words but I don't take it any further.  What if instead, we take 10 minutes every few days to have students practice their vocabulary by using games.

For all of these games, I would divide the class into smaller groups of three to four people who work together.  For the first one, I'd have people divided into groups of two.

One game is we've seen is for a person to place a word on their forehead and ask people questions about that word or have the other person give definitions of the word.  The person who has the word on their forehead has to guess it.

Another version would be for a person to draw a card and describe the vocabulary word to the others so they have to guess it.  They cannot use the word itself. For instance they might say "split it into smaller equal groups" for division or "The way you solve a problem following the rules" for order of operation.

There is always Pictionary where the student has to draw a picture of the vocabulary word.  For division they might draw 24 apples and draw rings around 6 apples so there are four groups.  For function, the student might draw a graph with a vertical line through it to prove it is a function.  White boards are great for this or iPads with drawing apps.

Instead of playing Pictionary, do charades so students can move around rather than sitting. For Order of Operations, they'd have to show three words, the first word they might arrange numbers into order or be a waitress, the last word they might imitate a doctor taking out a liver.  This last one can break up the monotony of sitting down.

No matter which game you select, you need to think about the vocabulary you use.  Not all vocabulary would work will in charades but might work better for describing.

The thing about games like these is they give students a chance to connect the vocabulary word with descriptions and sometimes actions.  Research indicates at least for elementary students, connecting the word to an action understand the vocabulary better than by just reading or writing it.  This extra activity helps the word become part of their vocabulary base which in turn adds to their base knowledge.

Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear. Have a great day.