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The Religion Teacher | Catholic Religious Education

“Tic-Tac-Know” the Review Game

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Materials needed:
1) three categories of nine questions each (for example, 9 questions about each person of the Trinity).
2) large whiteboard or chalkboard

Number of Teams: 2 or divide them by rows

Directions:

  1. Draw three tic-tac-toe grids on the board and label them according to your three categories. Number each box 1 to 9.
  2. Each team will be given a letter (X, O, or A, B, C, etc.) to designate the squares that they can claim for answering correctly.
  3. One member of each team will choose a category and a number/box. The teacher will read the question and the student will have 10 seconds to answer.
  4. If the student answers correctly, the square will be rewarded to that team with the designated letter.
  5. If the student answers incorrectly, the question stays for that square.
  6. Teams score points by earning three squares in a row (and/or by the most squares in a category)**I also used the squares as motivation for teams to follow the rules (no talking, or insulting other teams, or your own team members). If a team showed poor sportsmanship, I would take away a square and replace it with a new question and number.

Benefits:
This is personally one of my favorite review games. It adds strategy to straight question and answer games. Teams may use their tic-tac-toe skills to discuss what square to choose. It also give you the chance to see how well some of your test questions will be answered.

Challenges:
Since only one team member can answer at a time, other students can easily lose interest. You may have to keep their attention by showing some energy when you are reading the questions. You may also consider having them write down questions and answers on notebook paper as you progress through the game. Make sure you have a period at the end of the game to review difficult questions.

Inspired by Linda Tilton’s The Teacher’s Toolbox for Differentiating Instruction.

About Jared Dees

Jared Dees is the creator of The Religion Teacher and the author of 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, Beatitales, Christ in the Classroom, and The Gospel According to Video Games.

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Comments

  1. RAnn

    An even easier version is to put the grid on the board, divide the class into two teams and then go up and down the rows asking questions. If you ask a question and the person gets it right s/he gets to fill in any empty square. Wrong, and you ask the first person on the next team. Alternate back and forth until you get through the whole class or until you get the right answer. Like you, I award squares to the other team for bad behavior.

  2. Jared Dees

    That is an excellent idea, RAnn! I can see this saving a lot of time instead of waiting for students to choose squares before asking them a quiestion. Thank you!

  3. Adrienne

    Jared,
    Can you tell us more about how this works with Linda Tilton’s ideas? I’d like to make a lesson plan on the trinity using her differentiation techniques and would be interested in your input.

    • Jared Dees

      Hi Adrienne, to be honest I’m not that familiar with Linda Tilton’s other works. I like this book because of how practical and useful it is.

  4. DOROTHY LUKACSKO

    I AM THANKFUL FOR ALL YOUR GREAT IDEAS. IT KEEPS UP MY CONFIDENCE AND THE STUDENTS INTERESTED. WE ARE HAVING A RETREAT ABOUT 4 HOURS ON A SATURDAY. AS THIS WILL BE YOUNG STUDENTS AND TEENS. WOULD YOU HAVE ANY OUTSIDE GAMES FOR THE OLDER STUDENTS. AGAIN THANK YOU DOROTHY