Mrs. Forbes

Vocabulary Olympics

I have decided that we will be working with our vocabulary for two weeks from now on. We will have twenty words, and those words will be our words for two weeks. Each semester, we as a class will go through intense competitions to see which group can out do the other in vocabulary. We will work with our vocabulary every day (except Fridays) in five-minute competitions. Each day, the winning group will earn a point. Whichever group has the most points at the end of the semester will win a prize that you guys decide on:

  1. Candy
  2. Extra Credit
  3. Free Homework Passes
  4. You Decide One

Since we will be working with the vocabulary longer, you will have a few different homework assignments with the vocabulary than what you’ve been getting. If you only have what you’ve had, chances are during the second week with the vocabulary, you’ll forget the words!!! ALSO, you will have a quiz the first week (10% of your grade) and a exam the second week (20% of your grade). To make our VOCABULARY OLYMPICS fair, I have decided the members of each group.

Games Will Consist OF:

  1. Gestures
  2. Pictionary
  3. Definition Match Up
  4. Vocabulary Face Off
  5. Antonym/ Synonym Scramble
  6. Vocabulary Slam Off
  7. Football Fiesta
  8. Jeopardy
  9. Hoops Up

1. Gestures is a description game that the students must describe the word without saying the word in any way and members must guess it correct.

2. Pictionary is they must draw the word, and the members must guess it correct.

3. Definition Match up is a card matching game. I will give each team a selection of words. Whichever team matches the words correctly the fastest wins the game.

4. Vocabulary face off is a game of quick thinking and moving! Two chairs are in the front of the room. The teams are divided and standing at the side of each chair. When they figure out the definition, they have to run to the chair, sit in it, and say the definition/word before the other team does so.

5.Antonym/Synonym scramble is I will say a collection of antonyms/synonyms. The students must call out what the word is that the antonyms/synonyms are connected with and then name whether the words are antonyms or synonyms.

6.Slam Off—a favorite!! All students are sitting at their desks. I call out a definition, student must slam his/her hand on the desk, yell out the definition, and repeat the word. Whichever team has won the most words at the end wins the game.

7.Football Fiesta-new this year. Students will listen to some salsa music, passing around the football. When I stop the music, the student holding the football will have to take a definition out of the ball and name the word. Whichever team has the most cards at the end of the game wins.

8.Jeopardy-just like the TV game show. Students will team up and have to define a word that I give, use the word in a sentence, or say an antonym/synonym, depending on what task the team chooses to try.

9.Hoops Up- One person picks a definition, hands it to me, and then, must tell me the word for the definition in 5 seconds. If student knows the word by him/herself, he says it and gets to pick for shooting for 2/3 points. If not, he has five seconds to ask team. If they know it, he can shoot for 2 points. If not, the word goes to the next team. The cycle continues until we finish our five minutes. The team with the highest score wins.

Rules of the Game

You must respect everyone. Any disrespectful arguments or bad sportsmanship will be handled with disciplinary actions. Arguments must stay at a minimum. You laugh now, but you’ll be surprised.

Once the game is over and I call your attention to the lesson or work that we need to focus on, you must immediately switch gears from games to study. I love these games. They are my students and my own favorite, most enjoyable, and really most memorable thing in my class. BUT I will not lose learning time by commotion from these games. If you can’t get it together when I say it’s time, we don’t play the games.

All members must participate in the competition. If the group has members who are not contributing, the group as a whole will not be capable of winning the points. Also, the competitions will begin to go into students’ vocabulary scores. If you actively participate, then you will win a 100% on an exam for each quarter. Also, you will not be allowed in any way to work together once the exams come for the words you are working on. The exams measure your individual learning.

----LAST AND FINAL NOTE----

I AM ALWAYS OPEN FOR SUGGESTIONS WITH GAMES OR WAYS TO IMPROVE VOCAB. OLYMPICS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I DO IN MY CLASS THAT MOST TEACHERS DON’T. I DO IT BECAUSE I WANT YOU GUYS TO HAVE FUN, AND I KNOW PARTICIPATING IN THIS HAS HELPED GRADES TO IMPROVE. SO, PLEASE COME TO ME WITH POSITIVE SUGGESTIONS; I’M ALWAYS LOOKING TO MAKE IT BETTER AND FUNNER!!!

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