One of every middle school science teacher’s goals is to make units fun and engaging, while also challenging and informative. We dream of students retaining information simply because it’s interesting, but let’s face it: we also need them to do well on assessments. That’s where review time comes into play.
While the digital classroom game has its place, sometimes you want a screen-free option—or even need one if there’s a surprise internet connection outage. So let’s dive into some low-tech review games for middle school teachers filled with great ideas for keeping restless students engaged and supporting them in their knowledge retention. These classroom games work for upper elementary students, middle schoolers, and even high school students, making them versatile and fun options for every grade level.
What kinds of games do you remember from your time in school? For me, heads-up 7-up, Bingo, and Around the World come to mind. Whether online games like Gimkit or Kahoot were around when you were in school or not, most adults would probably say the interactive, low-tech style games were some of the most memorable. Especially in today’s world, students are on their devices at home and at school so regularly that a screen-free game here and there is like a breath of fresh air. When you take a break from digital review activities, you open the door to classic games that challenge students’ critical thinking and give them much learning without a screen in sight. Using classroom review games also allows for flexibility, especially if your trusty interactive whiteboards are on the fritz or you want to encourage physical group work and collaboration.
Here are some review activities that don’t require a single device and are sure to become some of your favorite things to pull out during test prep.
I will be the first to admit I love a good Jeopardy episode and would very much enjoy my classroom resembling a game show. But have you noticed that the tv show is void of screaming, competitive middle schoolers fighting to shout out answers and break all the rules? Here’s how you can adapt Jeopardy to work for your students while eliminating most or all screens.
1. Create large cards or a posterboard display with a point value for each question, and have a set of questions ready. Don’t worry about putting individual questions on the cards or posterboard so that you can reuse it time and time again. Or, use a website like Jeopardy Labs to create your questions and assign point values. Though using a website would involve some technology, students themselves are not using devices.
2. Divide students into teams. I like to create groups where ability levels range. I’ll get back to this in a moment.
3. Create a way for students to “buzz in” whether it’s hand-raising, tapping a table, or shouting out a key phrase.
4. Set some expectations for classroom management purposes and to explain the rules of the game. Remember, not all students have seen the Jeopardy tv show before. Here are a couple of the expectation I like to set:
5. Some teachers will have students select a team leader to “buzz in” for each question and allow groups to discuss their answers for each question. However, in my experience, this leads to one person doing all of the work and many students flying under the radar without doing any work at all. So, I like to select one student from each team per round to come to the front of the room and answer each question. I try my best to match ability levels on the fly so that each student has a fair chance. I love that this encourages teams to root for their classmates!
6. For “Final Jeopardy,” I like to give students a “mini worksheet” that they complete as a group after wagering points. This way, student groups have an opportunity to really collaborate.
Let me be honest – Jeopardy took some trial and error for me to figure out before I felt confident that it was actually helping students review. Give yourself time and space to adjust your rules and expectations over the course of the year. You’ll eventually figure out what works.
This one is pretty basic. One student starts as the first player, standing behind another student’s desk. The teacher asks a question (like vocab words or assessment questions), and the first person to answer correctly moves on to the next person in the room.
A list of questions and a small reward for the ultimate winner. I recommend candy, stickers, or a small number of bonus points. You can also allow students to assist in coming up with the prize so that they are a bit more motivated to participate.
Pro tip #1: This game works best for vocab words, quick facts, or math problems. You can offer extra prizes for students willing to elaborate on their answers.
Pro tip #2: Provide a paper for students to take notes throughout the game and require them to turn it in at the end of the game for completion points. Then return it so that they can use it as a study resource.
This fast-paced game is ideal for grade levels with a short attention span, as it keeps the energy high and the rest of the class engaged.
This is a pretty self-explanatory, classic game! Create a bingo grid with vocabulary words, concepts, or answers to questions using a website like this one. Call out the clues, and the first team or individual to get a full row shouts, “Bingo!” Offer a homework pass or other small prize for the winners.
To my surprise, many of my students, especially my ESL students, had never played Bingo before! So you may want to teach students how to play using regular cards before incorporating any content. It may sound simple, but kids always LOVE it! You can print basic cards here. I like to whip these out at random times throughout the year just for a fun, screen-free, non-academic activity! Sometimes I’ll have a student volunteer to be the bingo caller so that I can play too! It’s always so much fun.
Pro tip: I like to provide chips or small papers for students to mark their boards so that the cards can be reused for each class.
Place one student in the “hot seat” at the front of the room. Write a key phrase, concept, or vocabulary word on the board behind the student, or hold it up on a flashcard so that everyone in the class except for the student in the hot seat can see. Using a random name generator or a class list, have one student at a time provide clues for the word or concept until the student in the hot seat figures it out.
To encourage more collaboration, you can put students into teams and have each team discuss the best clue for the student in the hot seat. Then, provide points for the team whose clue lead to the correct answer.
While the games above are fantastic, you can also gamify typical review sessions with some of my ready-to-use resources! These activities are perfect for small groups, individual play, or the whole class.
Turn my Cut and Glue Puzzles into a collaborative contest. Pair or group students, set a time limit, and award a prize for the first team to complete the puzzle with the most correct answers.
My crossword puzzles are another great review tool that can be easily gamified. Pass them out to students and instruct them to “race against the clock” either individually or in groups.
These puzzles are perfect for combining features like teamwork and individual play, ensuring students’ knowledge retention in a fun, screen-free way.
BONUS: Use any of the Cut and Glue or Crossword puzzles to inspire questions for the games I listed previously!
Low-tech review games for middle school teachers aren’t just about surviving a technology outage—they’re about creating dynamic, engaging, and effective review sessions. Whether you’re using classroom games like Bingo and Jeopardy or gamifying resources like my crossword puzzles and cut-and-glue activities, there’s no shortage of fun ways to prepare students for an upcoming test.
Next time you’re building a lesson plan, try skipping the Kahoot and Blooket games for a low-tech review session using one of the activities from this post. Your students will thank you!
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