Novel Board Games

Written by: Kellie Hayden • Edited by: Sarah Malburg
Updated Jun 30, 2010 • Related Guides: Board Game

Instead of assigning a book report when students finish a novel, have them work in small groups and create a board game. Each member will have a role/task and the group members will show what they know about the novel through creating a board game.

Novel Board Game Essentials

Students will need to work in small groups to create a board game. It is an activity that will take quite a bit of class time. However, students will learn how to work in cooperative groups and will review the novel to complete the board game.

Students will need to be placed in small groups. A group of four is optimal; however, smaller groups will work. Larger groups allow one or two students to slide by and do nothing to help the group.

Items Needed

Students will need a foam core piece of poster board to create the board, game pieces and note cards. Choices are endless for the game pieces, but all teams will need the poster board and note cards.

Group Roles & Tasks

Once students are grouped, they will need to choose roles: game board designer, note card maker, pieces organizer, and rule maker. These four jobs can be given to four different students or fewer students can share the jobs.

game board designer: The group should discuss what the game board should look like. The designer should plan, design and make the board. Any person in the group can help, but in the end the board game is this person's responsibility. Students can get ideas from commercial game boards on the market, but they should be creative with their design.

note card maker: This person is responsible that there are enough cards with questions for the game. All can help come up with questions, but making the cards is this person's responsibility.

pieces organizer: This person will need to gather or make all of the game pieces. This person must help write questions too because it is such a big job.

rule maker: This person will make the rules for the game. The rules should be typed and be clear to the players of the game. This person needs to help write questions for the game as well.

Assessing the Game Using Rubric

The game should be played by another group in the class. It will then be assessed by the group by using a four point rubric. Criteria for the game could be: directions are clear, game is neat and creative, there are enough cards to complete the game or the game is "winnable" and/or all pieces are available.

This is a fun activity and students will enjoy reflecting on the novel by creating the board game. Many students will think at first that the task will be easy. However, they will find that it takes quite a bit of effort to complete a quality game.