Create a "Jeopardy!" game based on either animals or plants. Some category ideas for animals are "Mammals," "Birds," "Reptiles," "Fish," and "Amphibians." Some category ideas for plants are "Trees," "Flowers," "Fruits," "Vegetables," and "Miscellaneous," in which "Miscellaneous" includes moss, vines and water plants. Each square should contain a clue as to the animal or plant in question. One example of an animal clue is: "I am a bird that cannot fly, but I swim well in cold water," and the answer is "What is a penguin?" Use easy-to-recognize animals and plants for kindergarten through third grade students, and slightly more challenging animals and plants for fourth-to-sixth-grade students.
Use "States of Matter," "Measurements," "Temperature," "Solid, Liquid or Gas" and "Chemical or Physical Change" for your categories. "States of Matter," "Measurements" and "Temperature" focus on a specific term or measurement. For example, a clue that reads, "The space that a solid object occupies" will have an answer of "What is volume?" "Solid, Liquid or Gas" and "Chemical or Physical Change" will require students to identify the property of an object or reaction. For example, a clue that reads "Occurs when wood is set on fire" will have an answer of "What is a chemical change?" Basic matter-related "Jeopardy!" questions are appropriate for third-grade students. More complex clues can be used for fourth-to-sixth grade "Jeopardy!" players.
Focus on climate by using "Desert," "Ocean," "Mountainous," "Arctic" and "Tropical," or some variation, as your categories. A sample clue in the desert category is, "I happen suddenly and dry soil cannot absorb me," and has an answer of, "What is a flash flood?" Alternatively, you can focus on weather by using "Water Cycle," "Clouds," "Storms," "Seasons" and "Natural Disasters" as categories. A sample weather clue might be, "I lived in a lake, but now I fall from the sky, because of this," and has an answer of "What is Evaporation?" Climate and weather "Jeopardy!" can be adapted to any elementary grade level. Use general terms for younger students, and more complex terms and cycles for older students.
Create a "Jeopardy!" game for younger students by using general technology categories: "Cameras," "Computers," "Internet," "Appliances" and "Electrical Devices" are all acceptable topics. "Sending a letter to another person over the Internet," for example, would have an answer of "What is email?" For older students, focus more on sources and applications of technology, with categories such as "Computer Hardware," "Computer Software," "Energy Sources," "Space" and "Circuits." The clue, "I have a positive, a negative, and can be used to power many mobile devices," for example, would have an answer of "What is a battery?" Adapt clues to match the age level of your elementary-grade students.