Contents
Culture and Identity
Differentiated Anagrams
Speedy Sketching Game
Families and Households
Differentiated Anagrams
Speedy Sketching Game
Verbal Tennis
Blockbusters
Policy Graphs
Education
Splat!
Coloured Threads
Speedy Sketching Game
Board Game
Diamond Nines or Fives
Policy Graphs
Concept Hierarchies
Health
Speedy Sketching Game
Diamond Nines or Fives
Research Methods/ Sociological Theory
Animal, Bird, Sociology
Yes No Cards
Acrostics
Speedy Sketching Gam
Verbal Tennis
Emotional Methods
Alternate Crosswords
True or False?
Diamond Nines or Fives
World Sociology
Speedy Sketching Game
Don’t Say the Word
Power and Politics
Differentiated Anagrams
Speedy Sketching Game
Don’t Say the Word
Beliefs in Society
Speedy Sketching Game
Don’t Say the Word
Verbal Tennis
Dual Function Dice Quiz
Media
Speedy Sketching Game
Don’t Say the Word
Dual Function Dice Quiz
Crime and Deviance
Coloured Threads
Perspective Hats
Acrostics
Speedy Sketching Game
Multiple Mind Maps
Crime Wave
Diamond Nines or Fives
Guessing by Rhyme
Stratification and Differentiation/ Wealth, Poverty and Welfare
Speedy Sketching Game
Diamond Nines or Fives
Policy Graphs
Example Game - Splat!
SPLAT!
Aim
To consolidate vocabulary, meanings and key facts relating to any topic that has already been taught. The example provided is Education.
Rationale
This is a lively activity ideal for students bored by conventional revision. It will appeal to kinaesthetic learners in particular, but is excellent for waking up sleepy or reluctant students and enlivening the end of term.
Materials and Preparation
You require a large whiteboard or blackboard and a pen or chalk. Before the lesson begins, consider how many students will be attending and collect together at least as many vocabulary items from the topic being taught. These will mainly be names of concepts, but you can include names of sociologists, reports or policies, so long as there are several of each so the answers are not self evident. Keep the phrases brief. If you have a small class you could provide two or three items per student but do not exceed much more than twenty.
Instructions
Write the chosen phrases dotted all over the board in a random sequence.
Give students a few minutes in silence to jot down definitions for the key phrases, preferably without looking them up. Alternatively they can write questions to which the term is an answer. The key term should not be mentioned in the question. Bring this to a close when most students have finished.
Two students are then chosen to go up to the board. Members of the audience call out a definition or question and the faster of the two players to see the answer on the board covers it with his or her hand. This scores a point. The phrases should remain on the board so it takes some time for players to scan what is there.
The players then return to their seats and another couple takes over. Another question is asked. This continues until all or most of the words have been ‘splatted’ and all students have had an opportunity to ‘splat.’
If the class is small, invite students up to the board more than once so they have an opportunity to improve their scores.
If the game has revealed difficulties with any particular phrases, organise follow-up work to clarify them.