Simply labeling an activity as a "game" sets the stage for fun and interactive learning. Give your game a catchy name for easy reference and recall. Combine cooperative and competitive styles for balance and decide just how much movement your group can handle. Access alternative environments, such as a picnic area or school stage, whenever possible. Infuse creativity into your approach and your students will return the favor.
Physical activity increases blood flow and shifts the brain to a more active mode. Learning through doing, as with karate or fire drills, encodes the information differently than just audio-visual learning. Ideas using this learning style include a short drama production with each variable and coefficient as a student role, or adapting the common games of basketball, relay races and Simon Says to answer questions about factoring or actually solving for "x."
Students in a research group remembered almost everything they had written on essay questions from a test but nothing from the multiple choice section. People remember what they write. Have students create comic strips and color-code problem solving to teach the steps in solving quadratic equations using factoring. If you choose to perform a short play about quadratic equations, have the students write the script by hand first. During independent work time, allow students to solve equations on a dry erase board or overhead projector.
While some students look forward to a round of Quadratic Baseball, others prefer a calmer approach. Tic-Tac-Toe, puzzles, Chutes and Ladders, Jeopardy! and Battleship are suitable for teaching quadratic equations using factoring. Players can answer questions about the steps of factoring or actually solve for "x" to earn an opportunity to play. Additionally, Battleship can be used to reinforce the x-axis and y-axis relationship.
Give the students control as a powerful way to gain their attention. Challenge them to come up with games that teach some or all of the steps in the process. Consider assigning teams or having a competition. Also consider offering prizes, such as a reduced homework pass or leadership opportunity. Rotate through all games or choose a couple of top ideas. Whatever the approach, agency is a great sell for promoting participation.
Apply the game approach to homework with color-by-number, hangman and connect-the-dots, or access online resources for computer games. Teachers can assign students homework buddies to promote social interaction. Students may be fearful when practicing new skills on their own, so having a buddy will provide encouragement. Regardless of the style, students will view homework more positively when it is presented as a game.