Materials needed:
- individual papers slips, note cards, sticks, etc. containing questions or vocabulary words
- one slip, card, stick, etc. as a wild card with a word such as ZAP! or other word related to the unit’s theme
- bags, baskets, or buckets to hold questions
Number of teams: groups of 3 or 4
Directions:
- Each student takes a turn by drawing a question from the container.
- The student reads the question aloud and responds verbally.
- The other students in the group judge whether the response is correct or one student will be given the answer key. The teacher will act as the final judge.
- If the response is correct, that student keeps the item and earns a point.
- If the response is incorrect, the student returns the item to the container.
- If the wild card/ZAP! card is drawn, the student will lose all of their points and the question cards must be put back into the container.
Benefits:
ZAP! allows you to differentiate your groups so that some groups are given more challenging questions than others. It also allows you to work with the groups that need the most help. Unlike review games involving the entire class, ZAP! allows students to go through questions quickly and the entire class is involved more often. Also, since the wild/ZAP! card requires that all the cards go back into the container, students are given the opportunity to repeat and drill questions and answers.
Inspired by Linda Tilton’s The Teacher’s Toolbox for Differentiating Instruction.
