Is anyone else in that “slump” part of the year? Do your students seem unmotivated? Well, then it is time to ZAP! them with a quick and easy game that you can use for any subject area! This game has never failed to energize my students, and they don’t even realize they are learning…hehehe, Confession: I love to trick my kids into learning!

What is ZAP? Basically it is a way to turn any review questions into an instant game. Take any set of questions or skills that your kids need to practice or review, divide them into teams, and you’re ready to play ZAP!

There are two different versions of ZAP!: the SMARTBoard  version and the technology-free version.

SMARTBoard Version:
I use the “Random Word Generator” in the Teacher Toolkit and enter point values. 50(3x), 100 (5x), 200 (4x), 300 (3x), 400 (2x), 500 (1x), and ZAP! (3x)–my template looks like this and you can download it here:  ZAP!

Technology-Free Versions:
Write the same point values on popsicle sticks, slips of paper, or cards and let students draw them out.

Now you’re ready to play. When a team answers a question correctly, they get to play ZAP! They tap the random point generator or draw a stick. Let’s say they get 200 points. Now they have to decide if they want to stick with 200 points, or draw again.

If they stop, then you give them that number of points and move on. If they want to draw again, then set 200 aside and let them draw again. Now they get 100 points, for a total of 300 points.

They can stop, or keep drawing…do you see where this is going? The team is excited and draws again and gets ZAP! they loose all their points for that round.

*Wah, wah, waaaaah* It’s interesting to see the strategies that develop and you can totally see your “risk takers” and your “play it safe” kids.

So the game continues, until you run out of questions. I know it is simple, but the kids love it. So put ZAP! in your bag of tricks for when your kids are in a slump.

I used ZAP! to review Fractions and Decimals yesterday, I gave the teams factions and decimal template to work out the problems.

For this game of ZAP! I had 20 questions, one for each kid and I randomly called on students. That way ALL the students needed to understand the problem.

I put each question up on the SMARBoard and groups had to solve them. Then I randomly called on a student.

Pssst, you can download my  Fraction and Decimal Review Game here. You can find other SMARTBoard templates here.