TeachCommunity > Grade > All grades > Graphic Organizer Game

Graphic Organizer Game

This idea comes from a presentation at the National ASCD Conference; it is from Steve Kahl at Mountain View High School.

Choose a topic and give each student a card representing a figure, idea, movement, text, or event; Steve uses the topic “The Age of Enlightenment”.

Students may switch cards with any other student at any time (except when the other student is in a link) by saying, “Thank you so much.”

Student earn points by getting into a human link system that reflects a particular graphic organizer – one point per student in your linked group, so if there are ten students linked properly, all ten each receive ten points.

(Steve uses this with high school students, and adds the challenges of graphic organizers like “time line’, ‘time line notes”, “linear array”, “concept maps”, and “summary sheet”.)

When a link is complete and ready for evaluation and review, all students count to three and yell in unison, “Freeze!”

If any one does not belong in a group or cannot explain competently his/her placement, no one from the group gets any points for that round.  Upon hearing “freeze” all other students must stop in animated motion.

The group that froze everyone else will have 60 seconds to name the organizer and explain it, with each person explaining his/her part.  If the 60 seconds run out before completing the explanation, only those who have been explained will be used for the points of the group members.

After, Steve has his students write and reflect on the experience.  He gives the top point earner a $10 Starbucks card.

 Print Print