Use PowerPoint to Review

You can create a simple review game for literary terms using Microsoft PowerPoint. Think of it as a digital version of flash cards. Depending on the number of terms or questions, I can create a review game in about 30 minutes or less. Here’s how you can create a PowerPoint review game.

First open the PowerPoint program. Try to use a colorful slide design, but the design does not have to be fancy. Add as many slides as you think that you will need for the review. You can always add additional PowerPoint slides.

Create your questions. You can use questions from your quiz or simply put a vocabulary word on each slide. I usually give my students answer choices for special education classes. Students tend to freeze up if they have to think of an answer on the spot without choices. They seem more comfortable when they can select the correct answer from some choices. I usually put a question on one slide, followed by the answer on the next slide. PowerPoint allows you to animate the slides so that you can place the question on a slide and use a reveal type of animation to show the answer when clicked.

When time permits, I add pictures to help students get a visual image of the question. Using pictures can be tricky, though because your idea of an illustration to fit your question may not click with your students. Funny animations can help liven up the PowerPoint, but they can also be distracting.

Spend about 15 minutes a few times a week reviewing terms using your PowerPoint presentation. Mix up the slides so that students will not get accustomed to the order of the questions. Add additional questions and remove the ones that the students know. Rephrase some of the questions so that students can apply the information that they are learning.

It’s fun to split the class up into groups and have a competition with the questions. The team that earns the most points can win a small prize. Before you know it, students will become excited about reviewing and look forward to the challenge of assessments.