In order to obtain 100% participation in an interactive whole class questioning activity the teacher must use techniques to allow the entire class to respond silently. Using these techniques gets, and keeps, everyone involved. Depending on the age and the activity, these ‘games’ should be used for five to ten minutes. They may used be in all subject areas, and are only limited by the teacher’s creativity.

Sit Down / Stand Up
    This game allows students to move in response to questions that have only two choices for the answer. For example; is the number odd or even?, the word a noun or a verb?, or do you add or subtract to solve a given word problem? This allows the teacher to provide for some student movement while lessons continue.
    To play, the teacher writes ‘Sit Down’ and ‘Stand Up’ separately on the board. Then next to each command the teacher writes what is the answer to have the student ‘Sit Down’ or ‘Stand Up’. For example, he could write ODD next to ‘Sit Down’ and EVEN next to ‘Stand Up’. Then he would say a number, “14”. The students would then ‘Stand Up’ because it is an even number. Then “5”, and the students would ‘Sit Down’. Repeat using a variety of numbers. The fun starts when the teacher repeats the same direction; “7“, ‘Sit Down’, “21“ ‘Sit Down’, “437“ ‘Sit Down’ over and over, and speeds up.
    Students that may not have the skill will catch on as they copy and try to keep up with the activity. The game becomes an immediate assessment as the teacher can observe if the students cannot follow the direction because they do not ‘have’ the required knowledge or understanding.

Whiteboards
    Students may use individual whiteboards to write their response and show it to the teacher. Students may use an old sock placed over their hand as an eraser. To help students show the whiteboard correctly, using a sharpie marker place an arrow pointing to the top on the back of the board.
    Students’ responses may be a letter, a number, a geometric shape, a math symbol, a word, a smiley face, or any symbol the teacher introduces as the response. For example, if the social studies question is, “Is the body of water a river, a lake, or an ocean?” The answers may be wavy lines for a river, a big wave for an ocean, and a circle for a lake. In math the students could write the <, >, or = signs or just write numerical answers.
    Commercial whiteboards may be purchased from $4.00 to $6.00 each. However, a less expensive alternative that works just as well, is shower board which may be purchased by the large sheet at a home improvement store such as Home Depot. Many stores are willing to cut it at no cost, and these whiteboards will cost approximately $0.60 a piece.

Number Cards
    Students can make playing card size cards and place the digits 0 - 9, one digit on each card. Older children may use 2 sets at once. The students can now hold up the numbers in response to math questions. For example, practice multiplication facts with the students holding up the 2 digit answers. For example, 3 X 7 = ?, and the students hold up cards 1 and 2 for 12. Or create number patterns and have the students show the next number or numbers to continue the pattern. For example, 5, 11, 17, ? and the students hold up cards 2 and 3 for 23.
    A smaller set of cards, 1 centimeter squares, can be made and used for students to place the answers on their desks. This works well to practice place value when longer numbers are called for. For example, “Show the number 142, 675.”
    For storage, place the cards in a zip-loc bag or a film canister.

Pig - Large group probability and statistics game

    Pig is a game that is played by the whole class at the same time. Students must take risks and be lucky to score the most points. The game requires an overhead spinner numbered 1 to 6, or a die may be used. The students number their papers from 1 to 6, or however number of rounds you wish to play.
    Points are scored by the number that is spun on the spinner. After each spin, each player has a chance to sit down and keep all the points earned for that round. Or the player may remain standing and gain the points on the next spin. Play continues until a SIX is spun. If a SIX is spun, all those remaining players, those standing, now have zero points for that round. Then the next round begins and play is repeated.
At the conclusion of all the rounds the player with the most points wins.

Round 1
1. Spin the spinner. A 4 is spun. All students write a 4 next to #1 for Round 1.
2. Now students must decide either to sit down with 4 points or remain in the game for another spin.
3. Spin the spinner. A 3 is spun. All students write a 3 next to the 4 for the first round.
4. Now students must decide either to sit down with 7 (4+3) points or remain in the game for another
        spin.
5.Spin the spinner. A 6 is spun. All students still playing now have a ZERO for round 1.

Each round continues until a 6 is spun or every student sits down.

Begin Round 2

Now, they all are not just one step. Some require 2, 3, or many more steps. For example:

    37                           58                          78
  +73                         +85                        +87
   110                         143                        165
 +011                       +341                       +561
   121 Palindrome!      484 Palindrome!       726  Needs another step
                                                              +627
                                                              1353  Needs another step
                                                            +3531
                                                              4884  A palindrome!

Will it work starting with 3 digit numbers?

You can also use this activity for calculator practice.

Race to 20 2 Player Oral Logic Game

How to play: Players alternate turns
                     Starting at “1”, the players count up to 20.
                     On each turn, the player may count (say) one or two numbers.

Examples: Read Down

Bob says: 1                     OR                               Kim says: 1, 2
Tom says: 2, 3                                                     Jan says: 3, 4
        Bob: 4                                                               Kim: 5
       Tom: 5, 6                                                             Jan: 6, 7
        Bob: 7, 8                                                            Kim: 8, 9
       Tom: 9, 10                                                           Jam: 10
        Bob: 11                                                               Kim: 11, 12
       Tom: 12, 13                                                           Jan: 13, 14
        Bob: 14                                                               Kim: 15, 16
       Tom: 15, 16                                                           Jan: 17
        Bob: 17                                                               Kim: 18
       Tom: 18                                                                 Jan: 19, 20  Jan Wins!
        Bob: 19, 20 Bob Wins!

    This game may be played anytime, anyplace; for example, when the class is waiting in line to enter the theater on a field trip.

Salute - Mental Math Game
    Salute is a game used to practice basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts. The game uses a regular deck of cards (or make number cards) using the cards’ values. Aces are 11, all number cards are worth their number, and face cards are worth 10. You may remove cards from the deck as you see fit and change the values of the face cards, e.g. Jacks = 12, Queens = 15,
and Kings = 20.
    The game requires 3 players; one child is the ‘Calculator’ and the other 2 students “Salute”.

1) Divide the cards in half and give each ‘Salute’ student a stack, half the cards.
2) When the calculator says “Salute”, each student takes the top card face- down from the deck and
    places the card next to his forehead in a manner that he is saluting the ‘Calculator’ and his
    opponent. The students “Saluting” should be able to see their opponent’s card and not be able to
    see their own card.
3) For addition, the ‘Calculator’ will add both the cards and state out loud the sum of the two cards.
    For example, one student has a 4 and the other has a 7. The ‘Calculator’ says “11”
    (the sum of 4 and 7).
4) Each student must mentally calculate the value of his own card using his opponents card’s value,
    the only card he can see. For example, the student holding the 7 has to think 4 + ? = 11
    or 11 - 4 = ?.
5) When the student calculates his own card he says it out loud. The first student to identify correctly
    his own card is the winner and takes both cards.
6) Play continues until all the cards are played or you may set a time limit.

    The students who ’Salute” must rotate and take their turn being the ‘Calculator’ .

    The game may be used with younger students by using only the cards from 1 to 5. Then as their abilities improve, you can add the number 6, and so on.

    These activities are used on that typical Monday to introduce a new spelling list. Using these techniques will help the students focus on the length and spelling of the words. As each word is solved the teacher may then discuss the meanings and uses of the words.

All the activities begin with the typical hangman blanks, one blank for each letter.

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ for the word “BLANK”

Clues
    When students cannot guess a word by the letters revealed you may give clues by giving a brief definition or use the word in a sentence, though do not make it too easy. Also, you can give the number of syllables in the word. For my fourth graders I like to use ‘awkward definitions’, a usage of the word that they may know, but is not the most common meaning of the word. For example, for the word ‘blank’ I would say, “You can draw one of these.”

    To maintain interest and participation, when a student guesses the word I put the students’ initials on the board. For repeated correct guesses I put a check by their name. I also give students credit for words that fit the blanks and are spelled correctly even though it is not the spelling word.

    For example, _B_ ___ ___ ___ _K_ for BLANK,
    I would give students credit if they said “blink” or “black”.

Spelling Baseball
    Spelling baseball is a whole class game that is an alternative to the usual spelling practice or spelling bee. Students still spell words, but if they spell it incorrectly they are out and when they spell it correctly they get to ’run’ the bases and maybe score a run.

Question and Answer Game
    This game may be used to review any set of information such as a unit in social studies or science. Create questions using the information the students should have learned through the lessons. Try to make the answers one or two words, if possible. Now divide the class into six teams. Have each team stand in line and one at a time walk up to the designated area to answer the question. I had the six teams around a big table. Each team needs a clicker, bell, light, or some way for the student to signal the teacher when he knows the answer. There is a commercial answer system called Eggspert made for this very purpose. Eggspert has six eggs for signaling which light up and may make a sound or be silent. Ask the question and allow the first to signal to answer the question. If an incorrect answer is given then ask the question again for the other five contestants. Once the correct answer is given all six players at the table now move to the end of the line, and the next in line comes to the table to answer. This keeps the students moving as the questions are asked and they move up in line.

    I did not keep score for this game, but you can easily develop a scoring system.