For most secondary schools in Ontario, exams are quickly approaching. Reviewing with your students in anticipation of a final course exam, will better prepare them for what’s to come and remind them of topics they may have long forgotten.
Here are 5 review strategies you can easily adapt for your classroom.
Stations/Gallery Walk:
A station activity or gallery walk is a good way for students to be presented with different topics, primary source material or textbook excerpts. You can zero in on a unit, by focusing on a topic (eg. First World War, Cultural Anthropology, Charter of Rights & Freedoms) or look at the course wholly. In advance, prepare your station cards- they can include small excerpts from the textbooks, images representative of various moments in history, or concept framing questions (eg. “What social factors contribute to the overrepresentation of certain demographic groups in the criminal justice system?”) Have the students brainstorm on chart paper, a white board or post-it notes in response to what is presented. Then rotate the groups and see if more can be added or improved upon. This strategy allows students to see what their peers are noticing about the given topic and can build upon the ideas already presented.
Comparing Perspectives:
Provide students with a topic or issue that presents dueling perspectives and ask the students to create a mind map on the issue. An example could be “Should the notwithstanding clause be used by provinces?” or “Did the Meech Lake Accord create division within Canada in the 90s?” Students would then assess the opposing perspectives and extend their reasoning. This allows them to connect with the different viewpoints and be reminded of the nuances of historical thinking. A fun twist on this idea is the “Who’s Coming to Dinner” exercise, where you provide students with a list of figures (eg. historical figures, politicians, social scientists) and ask them to arrange them along a dinner table, ensuring that those with shared interests are sitting together, and those with opposing interests away from each other. When students have to think about who is sitting on the left or right of any given individual, it creates a good opportunity for discussion and review of key concepts relative to that individual.
Jeopardy-Style Games:
A classic review game! Free slideshow templates can be found across the internet. Just add in your own questions (or if staying true to a Jeopardy format, the answers) and have students compete. Online sites like Kahoot or Quizizz allow for ready-made options as well. Similarly, an adaptation of the game “Guess Who?” could be fun in a situation where there are important people for students to make note of.
Dominions or Hexagonal cards:
Provide students with cards that have the names of individuals, topics or themes on them. Rectangular or square cards are easier to cut, but this also works well in a hexagonal structure. Students would then make connections between the given terms and it leads to significant discussion about what the terms are and how they’re connected. For Canadian History, I created this print & go set for my students. In doing this activity, as I walk around and see the results, I like to make adjustments to their work or challenge their choices which results in some shocked reactions and moments of reflection as they reassess their approach, ultimately leading to stronger and more refined results.
BINGO:
Another classic game, but with a spin on it. Have students place onto a BINGO template your course’s key terms. Rather than randomly pulling the key terms and reading them out, instead give a definition or description of the key term. Students will have to recall what the definition is referencing in order to mark off the term’s square and eventually win (eg. “This humanist psychologist created a hierarchy of needs”). If you do three rounds (1 line, 2 lines, full cards) it should take about 45 minutes to play.
In providing review opportunities before an exam, you are helping students reinforce what they’ve learned and it can help identify if there are any knowledge gaps. Hopefully one of the above strategies will work well in your classes. If you have other ideas, feel free to leave a comment below.
Christina Iorio is a teacher with the York Catholic District School Board and is a regular contributor to social media platforms regarding all things history and social science.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealmsiorio/
