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Students are divided into teams. One person from each team is chosen as the clue-giver. Each clue-giver is given a list of terms. They alternate giving one-word clues to the other members of their respective teams. If a team guesses correctly after one clue, they get 10 points; after two clues, nine points; and so on.

Summary ball

After presenting information, have students stand in a circle. Give the ball to a student. That student must state some fact or concept just presented, and pass the ball to another student, who must do likewise. Give students a short time (e.g., five seconds) to say something, in order to keep things moving.

When I tried this with students, there was a little lack of enthusiasm, which I think came from their uncertainty as to what to say. I think it might be easier if they could just throw out facts (e.g., Truman, Stalin, containment). Another possibility is to have students say a term and toss the ball, so the other student must identify the term, the say another term and toss the ball.

Running dictation

Post sentences on a wall. One student sits. The other student (or students) run/walk to the piece of paper, memorize one sentence, return to the first student, and repeat it. The writer writes it down. Continue until all sentences are written down.

I've used this when discussing sequence (e.g., Russia Revolution or 1905). The sentences/terms list certain events out of order. Students must transcribe the sentences/term and then put them in the correct order.

Last Word

Have students do an acrostic with some term. For example, I've done this after a lesson on the Enlightenment with the word "Enlightenment."

Wordle

Generates a tag cloud based on imported text.

Could be used to process student inputs, look for patterns, or generate text for word splash

At http://www.wordle.net/

Human continuum

Put a line on the ground (I usually use masking tape), and give students a question (e.g., attitudes towards tradition) and ask them to stand on the continuum. The longer you can make the line, the better.

Human Bingo

Create a bingo sheet, with questions in squares--throw in a few fun things, about people, just for grins. Pass out sheets and have students find a person for each square, someone who can answer that question. When sheets are filled in, student return to their seats. Pull student names out of a hat, have students mark bingo sheets. When someone gets bingo, everyone whose name is on the bingo must be able to answer the question for the class. If everyone can do it, it counts as a bingo. You can have edible markers for students to eat them. Another possibility is, for a bingo, both the student with the bingo and the students on the sheet must be able to answer the question.

Good for review before tests, since the questions on the bingo sheet can be either specific terms (e.g., "Can identify Eugene Debs") or general ideas (e.g., "Can name three reasons unions were weak in the Gilded Age")

Source: Wormeli, Summarization in any subject

Crumpled paper review

Students write term on one paper, definition on another, crumple them up and throw in a pile. Students pick up two balls of paper, must find the matching ones.