With only 2 weeks before the Winter Break and mid-year testing, my students need educational but fun things to do! So I put on my thinking cap and this is what I came up with:
1. ZAP game
This is an easy no-tech game you can make by simply writing questions about any topic you've covered in class on strips of paper. Throw in 3 strips that also say "ZAP". To play, divide the class into 2-4 teams. Determine which team goes first. That team sends a representative to pick out a strip. As long as it doesn't say ZAP, they have a chance to answer the question as a team. If they get it right, they get 10 points. Then another team has a chance to choose and answer a question and so on. Anytime ZAP is drawn, that team loses all their points. The team with the most points wins! What do they win? Could be some bonus points or a small piece of candy or even some time to listen to music.
If you are reading "A Christmas Carol", I have a fun ZAP game that reviews the plot. Students form teams to answer questions. They choose one strip from the container. If they get the question right, they keep the question strip. If they get it wrong, it goes back into the container. Then the next team chooses a strip and repeats the process. If any team chooses a ZAP strip, then they lose all their strips back to the container. At the end of game time, the team with the most strips wins!
.png "ZAP is the perfect A Christmas Carol activity for middle school students on the last few days of school before the break!")
2. Slide
This is a game I made up myself. You write questions and answers on index cards. Then divide the class in half. Line them up at the front of the room with one half facing the other half. Give one line of students the answers and the other line of students the questions.
The students with the questions read their question out loud to the student with the answer. If the student answers correctly, they switch places. If not, they remain in the same position. Then I call "Slide" and the question students place their card on the floor and move one place to the right. After sliding, question students pick up their question and repeat the process.
This one gets kids up and moving! They love it because it's something different. I love it because I can use task cards, index cards, vocabulary or really anything and get them involved in their learning!
3. Color By Fact
This one is more low-key than the last two. I love to put on some calm music, pass out the crayons and let them color. But not "just" color - color by fact. This means that there is an image to color but the key asks the students to color certain spaces certain colors based on whether the information provided is true to not. For example, it might state "If the theme is 'never give up' color all the spaces labeled with a 2 green."
Here is one I made for informative essay structure:
.png "Middle School Students will review the informative essay structure when they use this activity to color with a purpose!")