It’s crunch time…. otherwise known as STAAR review time! I get asked all the time how I review for STAAR and what makes my students so successful. Although nothing takes the place of solid instruction, I believe a good, solid review strategy is critical to student success.
Basics:
- I firmly believe you should be reviewing all year long. If you are interested in how I do this, check out my top ten secrets!
- I wrap up my content a couple of weeks before the test so we have time to review.
- Use your data to determine which units or concepts need reviewing the most. If your students did great on a unit, I wouldn’t spend much time reviewing it. When I taught 8th grade, I rarely reviewed the Civil War because that content was fresh in their minds. Let your data lead your concentration for review.
What are my go to activities every year?
- Timeline Races – I love this activity so much. Seriously, it’s my favorite. Students work in small groups to put “mini-timelines” in order. The events in these timelines are often times not related, which leads to some great critical thinking! Check out my blog post that explains more.
- Cause and effect cards – These are an awesome way to have students make connections. I also love matching cards to quickly review content.
- Jenga – You can play with set whole class, but it’s more fun if you can get multiple sets. I recommend one set for every 4 students. Ask around to see if anyone would donate a game from their closet! All you need to do it number the ends of the blocks and match those numbers to a question you want to ask.
- Swat the STAR – I love this game for whole class review! It’s fun, active and sometimes LOUD! Best part, your students will be having so much fun, they won’t even realize they are learning/reviewing! Win, win!
- Bingo – this has quickly become a class favorite! I copy the cards and laminate them ahead of time.
- Give a Clue – I use this activity all year long. I love this activity because it is zero prep! Students pair up. One student has their back to the screen and the other faces it. The student facing the screen gives clues to their partner to try and get them to guess the word. After 2 minutes, they switch. It’s a great way to quickly review any content!
- Envelope Races – In this activity, students pull terms from an envelope and describe them with the goal of getting their group to guess as many of the terms as possible before the teacher says “change.” Once this activity is prepped, you can use it over and over!
- Dominos – Students connect concepts and vocabulary using a version of Dominos. I love this game from Social Studies Success.
- Graffiti Era tagging – I write eras on the whiteboard and divide my class into 3 or 4 teams. I give each team a different colored dry erase marker. They take turns writing a word related to the era (people, vocabulary word, battle, date – anything). I allow about 5 minutes for teams to write as much as they can, then I say stop. We then evaluate and make sure all items are correct. If not, we erase and discuss hwy. It gives a great visual of the era when students are finished.
- Cup Stacking Races – I review the Eras of US History with this game. Kids love the competition! Check these races out here for 8th and 11th.
- Headbands – Students hold up cards to their forehead which include terms/people/battles/dates (anything). Their partner or group members give them them clues to get them to guess the term. It’s tons of fun! 11th grade version is here.
- Unscramble the Wars – Students sort key information about all of the wars we have learned throughout the year. Can students identify dates, who was president at the time, causes, key events and the effects of each war? It’s a great way to review in a hands-on way! Looking to save time creating this hands-on activity? 8th grade US History and 11th Grade US History are ready to print and play!
Creating activities for STAAR review can be overwhelming. If you want the work done for you, I’ve bundled all of these games for 8th grade and 11th grade EOC for you to save you time! All you need to do is print, laminate, cut and add baggies!
What I know about review games:
When kids play these games, they make connections. They recall content (yes, they forget if they don’t review) and think critically. As a teacher, I listen CAREFULLY! If I hear students forgetting a certain topic over and over, I take the last 5 minutes of class to review. Once they are prepped, you can use them year after year.
What are your favorite ways to review? I’d love to hear!
