Ideas for revision activities

Show me the answer! Using mini-whiteboards, true/false cards, hand signals, different coloured cards etc. pupils must show you the answer to a series of questions Good for revising definitions.

Pictionary e.g. Give students concepts/ideas/things to draw whilst others have to guess what they are Can divide group into teams to make it competitive Alternative – short list of concepts/ideas and students have to draw in books or on mini-whiteboard and then feedback their thinking/explanation. Good to give a quick review of a topic, before revising in more depth.

Taboo Students have to describe a key word without using that word (it is taboo!). (could do it in teams, pairs, whole-class)

Story-Time Re-tell learning as a story. Ensure you have a beginning, a middle and an end. Develop through genres i.e. Fable Sci-fi Thriller etc.

Carousel questions Split the class into 8 groups, and have 4 groups on each side of the classroom. Have the same questions for each half of the class – so you are only doing 4 different pieces of sugar paper times 2. Stick 2 exam questions onto sugar paper for each group, and put on their table. They have the time it takes for a music track to play – something chilled! – to complete the questions – show on media player so that they know how long they have left. When the music has finished the groups move on to the next question (or you can move the paper if you prefer.) Play another music track (or part of) - students add to/ correct the answer of their new question etc. or justify why it is the correct answer. Keep going until groups have seen 4 pieces of sugar paper, and therefore all questions. Give out the mark schemes for the questions. Group mark the question in front of them and feed back. CAN SCALE THIS DOWN IF YOU WANT.

Red pen/black pen' Get students to create a mind map on a topic. Look over it and try and remember as much as possible, hide it away and use a black pen to recreate the mind map. When they can't remember anymore check the original and add any missing points in a red pen. Repeat the process and more should be in black each time. Apparently red signifies danger and we remember it more!

Podcasts Ask students to create podcasts that they create share and critique with each other.

Speed dating Get each student to become the expert on one case study/topic/skill and then pair them up to 'date' and teach all about their idea. Ring a bell and swap round, continue until all the kids have learnt everything.

Yes-No Create some examples of the yes-no questions. Get students to have a go with the examples and then get them to produce their own. Later in pairs, get them to play the game. The rules might be – you are not allowed to answer yes or no or repeat an answer. You could get students to do a different case study each or choose a different theme.

Student annotation. Students use their work or the work of another student. Teacher gives annotations on card or descriptions that they have to annotate the work with.

Mime Ask students to mime or draw case studies. Other students have to guess the case study.

The Six O’Clock News Create small groups of four or five students and tell them they have to create a news bulletin about a given topic. Give them around 20 minutes to prepare complete with on-the-scene reporters and expert commentators for interviews! You can either give the groups the same or different topics. Either way, encourage the ‘audience’ to take notes while watching the each show. You can then produce a fact – sheet for each group to consolidate their learning.

Mastermind Pick four students in the class to become contestants in a special game of Mastermind! Divide the class into four teams, one for each contestant. Each team has to prep their contestant in their specialist subject (the topic you want to revise). Allow students 15 – 20 minutes to prepare to make it more fun and intense. Then send the contestants out of the classroom while they wait to be called to the ‘Chair’ You have to prepare 10 – 15 questions in advance. Ask each contestant the same questions and watch the rest of the class squirm as they know the answers! In that lesson, students would have taught their peers, then heard it repeated four times. Contestants too will have made a concerted effort to memorize the topic. All while having fun!

The X – Factor This is a really simple & flexible idea. Students can work individually, in pairs or groups. Give them some information you want to review or consolidate Then allow 20 minutes for the students to create a rap or song to perform to the class! To be the real X – Factor you could nominate 4 judges, either yourself, staff or students, to pick the winner!