PAT Bank
Tag Team (all grades)
Author:
Annette Patterson
high school science teacher
New Mexico
Subject:
Any
Objective:
Memory and Review
Materials and Preparation:
- A list of categories for play.
- A watch or clock with a second hand.
Student Grouping:
2 equal teams
The Play:
- Have each team stand in a single file line on opposite
sides of the classroom.
- Teacher calls out a category (example: colors).
- A relay race begins between the two teams to see which
team can write the most correct examples of the category
on the chalkboard within the specified time (example:
30 seconds).
- The team with the most correct answers wins.
Team A
Red
Blue
Green
|
Team B
Yellow
Red
Dog
|
Score: 3 |
Score: 2 |
- Move on to next category and begin another round.
- Keep track of overall score.
Scoring:
Team with most correct answers wins.
Comments or Variations:
This games combines large motor activity with memory
and review to create a high level of excitement. The categories
become more complex depending upon what the class has
been studying.
- Primary elementary teachers call out “colors”
and the students write as many colors as they can. Other
categories could be “numbers” or “alphabet,”
and the students race to win.
- Upper elementary teachers use names of states, multiplication
tables, spelling words, types of mammals, or planets
as categories – whatever they want to review.
- Middle and high school classes can create categories
for any subject area. Annette uses Tag Team with each
of her classes from basic science to chemistry. The
students may be called upon to make lists of the attributes
that distinguish a bird from other animals, or to write
the signs and names for chemical elements.
Have more than 2 teams. Cooperative learning groups make
great teams. The more teams you have, the more students
are directly engaged at one time. You could have all the
teams playing at once, or go head to head in a tournament
format. (Tip: If you use a tournament format, never have
teams watching. Play all the head to head games simultaneously
so students don't lose focus by not participating.)
If the teacher emphasizes the rule that repeats don’t
count, teams will check each other’s work.
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