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!

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.