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Scholarly Squares

 

 

Subjects

  • Arts & Humanities

Grade

  • 6-8
  • 9-12

Brief Description

In a spin-off from television's "Hollywood Squares," teams of students select "stars" from among their peers and agree or disagree with their responses to review questions in order to achieve three X's or O's in a row.

Objectives

Students

  • review subject matter.
  • use strategy and critical thinking skills.
  • function and make decisions as a team.

Keywords

game, review, Hollywood Squares

Materials Needed

  • review questions and answers
  • nine sheets of plain paper
  • marker
  • stapler

Lesson Plan

In the pattern of the television program "Hollywood Squares," this review game calls on students to play the roles of "stars" and team members as they try to obtain three X's or O's in a row. In preparation for the game, select several review questions with answers.

Fold in half a sheet of heavy construction paper or oak tag. Open up the sheet and draw in big X in one section of the folded page and a big O in the other. Do the same thing with eight (8) additional sheets of paper. Place those sheets on nine desks arranged in a square of three rows of three desks each. The blank side of each paper shape should be displayed in front.

As questions are answered, the persons ("stars") seated at the desks will fold the sheets inside-out to reveal the X or the O.

Draw names or select nine students to serve as the game's "stars" who sit in the nine desks. Divide the other students evenly into two teams, and choose one team to go first as "X" and the other as "O."

  • The first team selects a "star," and the teacher asks the chosen student a review question.
  • The star gives an answer.
  • The team members discuss the question and answer briefly, then decide to agree or disagree with the answer.
  • Then the teacher reveals the correct response. If the answer is correct and the team agreed with it or if the answer is not correct and the team disagreed with it, the "star" turns the paper on his or her desk inside-out to reveal the "X." If the team did not agree with the star's right answer or agreed with an incorrect answer, the star's paper remains blank.
  • The "O" team takes its turn and play continues

    In the next game, the "O" team becomes the "X" team and goes first. You may also rotate new students into the role of "stars."

    For more fun, have students choose popular (and appropriate) personalities to imitate when they are "stars" for a game. They could write the names of those personalities on their paper displays, so that the teams can address them "accurately"!

    Assessment

    The team that is first to achieve three X's or O's in a row is the winner of each round.

    Lesson Plan Source

    Education World

    Submitted By

    Cara Bafile

    National Standards

    LANGUAGE ARTS: English
    GRADES K - 12
    NL-ENG.K-12.4 Communication Skills
    NL-ENG.K-12.5 Communication Strategies
    NL-ENG.K-12.6 Applying Knowledge
    NL-ENG.K-12.11 Participating in Society
    NL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills

    Find more great learning games in Education World's Learning Games Archive.