Jeopardy

vocabularyaccuracyreviewsmall-groupmedium prep20-30 min

Quiz game with categories and point values for vocabulary review.

Procedure

Fill in the categories on the game board (slide 3).
Write answers and questions in the remaining slides (answer first, contestant provides the question).
Hit "Slideshow" to start the game.
Keep score on the whiteboard.

!2022-10-10_133809_jeopardy.jpeg

Alternative: JeopardyLabs — free online version, no Slides/PowerPoint needed.

Use mini-whiteboards instead of calling out: teams write their response silently then hold it up on signal. Every student thinks, not just the fastest, and it eliminates shouting disputes.
Mix category types rather than only topics: combine vocabulary, grammar, collocations, and a wildcard (Odd One Out, Complete the Phrase, an audio or image clue). Single-type boards lose novelty after a few rounds.
Scale difficulty by point value: low squares (100–200) test recall from class; high squares (400–500) require production or explanation.
Run a quick demo round with non-academic questions (favourite food, capital cities) to establish the format before the real game. Saves the first five minutes of review from being eaten by rule confusion.
For mixed-ability classes, assign team seats deliberately so stronger students are distributed across teams rather than grouped together.

Quiz game with categories and point values for vocabulary review.

Fill in the categories on the game board (slide 3).
Write answers and questions in the remaining slides (answer first, contestant provides the question).
Hit "Slideshow" to start the game.
Keep score on the whiteboard.

!2022-10-10_133809_jeopardy.jpeg

Alternative: JeopardyLabs — free online version, no Slides/PowerPoint needed.

Use mini-whiteboards instead of calling out: teams write their response silently then hold it up on signal. Every student thinks, not just the fastest, and it eliminates shouting disputes.
Mix category types rather than only topics: combine vocabulary, grammar, collocations, and a wildcard (Odd One Out, Complete the Phrase, an audio or image clue). Single-type boards lose novelty after a few rounds.
Scale difficulty by point value: low squares (100–200) test recall from class; high squares (400–500) require production or explanation.
Run a quick demo round with non-academic questions (favourite food, capital cities) to establish the format before the real game. Saves the first five minutes of review from being eaten by rule confusion.
For mixed-ability classes, assign team seats deliberately so stronger students are distributed across teams rather than grouped together.