We all have those days when we need to change things up a bit and do something fun, still want it to be content related. I have created an engaging and competitive review game for middle school and secondary classrooms that your students will be dying to play! Enter: Swat the Star! I love the Swat the Star game because my students are 100% engaged and their competitive spirit comes out full force! I have used this game in both middle school and high school and it is perfect for both ages.
Benefits of “Swat the Star”
There are so many benefits to playing this game in your classroom. First, you can review any content or topic. The teacher gets to control the content and what is reviewed. It is super engaging and competitive – instant student buy-in! Finally, it is extremely low prep for the teacher! Once you create your stars, you are good to go and can keep them forever!
Teacher Prep
Here’s what the teacher needs to do to prepare for the game:
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- Create a list of concepts (people, documents, battles, dates – whatever you need to review) and place each one on a separate piece of paper. Print these out and place them in sheet protectors or laminate them to last longer.
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- Tape them on the wall or whiteboard. Teacher tip: Tape all 4 corners to help them stay on the wall when they are swatted!
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- Buy 2 different colored fly swatters.
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- Divide your room into two teams. Each team will be assigned one of the fly swatters.
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- Place two chairs facing the wall with your stars. These are the “hot seats” for the game.
Student Directions
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- One person from each team will be in the hot seat.
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- You must stay seated in the hot seat until the teacher finishes reading the question.
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- First one to swat the answer gets a point for your team.
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- If there is a tie, the teacher will ask another question.
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- If one person swats the wrong answer, the teacher will give the other person five seconds to answer.
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- If neither person knows the answer, the teacher will give hints such as: the answer is on the top row or on the left side of the board.
This game is perfect to review before a test or the day before a holiday break. I print off each unit and have them filed away for a quick review activity when the bell schedule is weird, such as a testing day like SAT or PSAT.
One Word of Caution
You know your kids. If you feel you need to make the statement “don’t swat each other” then do it. I taught middle school for many years. Sometimes you have “that class” where you need to warn them. Bless you if you have that class this year! You also might need to warn your neighbor teacher that you are playing this game. Sometimes it can get a little rowdy and loud. Buy your neighbor coffee the morning you play this game.
Review games are my favorite and my students absolutely LOVE Swat the Star. I love to show students that we can review US History and still have fun. What are your favorite review activities?
Grab my Swat the Star bundle packs here:
8th Grade U.S. History Bundle
11th Grade U.S. History Bundle
