Are you in a panic when your school’s electricity goes out, the projector bulb goes pop, you need emergency sub plans, or your computer is on the fritz? Make this no-tech, low-cost Jeopardy board and you’ll be ready for any emergency! Say goodbye to technology and hello to an innovative, interactive, and budget and sub-friendly game that will make learning music (or ANY subject) an absolute blast!
What is a No-Tech Jeopardy Game?
A no-tech Jeopardy game provides an opportunity to combine music education with a thrilling game show format any time and in any situation. A music teacher or sub with no musical background, can walk in and without hitting a power button of any kind, have great learning K-5.
Modeled after the popular TV show, this interactive game allows students to answer questions, earn points, and engage in friendly competition. By transforming your music lessons into an exciting game, you can foster a love for music, encourage teamwork, and enhance student learning in a playful and memorable way.
Did I mention that it folds down to an
easy-to-store rectangle?
How to Create Your No-Tech Jeopardy Game
Make the Game Board
You’ll need: 3 poster boards, 4 x 6 index cards, duck tape, a marker, and (optional) Post-It notes.
- Two poster boards in landscape position are taped together to form the top. Cut the other poster board in half (landscape position) and tape to the bottom of the top section.
- Leaving room at the top for your category labels (optional Post-It notes or other labels), take your 4 x 6 index cards and lay out in 6 columns and 5 rows. Label the cards-all row 1 is $100, all row 2 is $200, etc.
- Glue the cards to the poster board. You only need to glue the right and left edges. They become the pockets to hold the Jeopardy answers.
- Use duck tape along the top edge, front and back, of the board. It will allow you to use additional small pieces of tape to adhere the board to a wall, whiteboard, or wherever without sticking to the poster board paper and ripping it.
Determine the Categories
Begin by brainstorming a range of music-related categories that align with your curriculum. Consider concepts like instruments, composers, terminology, notation, famous classical pieces, decades, genres, etc.
Tailor the categories to suit the age and skill level of your students, ensuring a balance between challenging and accessible questions.
Craft the Questions
Compose a variety of questions for each category, with different difficulty levels to cater to students’ abilities. Include both multiple-choice and open-ended questions to accommodate different learning styles. Encourage students to participate in the question creation process to foster their ownership and engagement.
For culturally responsive teaching, this is the time to consider the background of all your students to make sure that each of your students’ cultures and life experiences are represented.
Write each question/answer on an index card along with the point count to be inserted into the pockets.
Establish Game Rules
To ensure a smooth and fair game, establish clear rules. Determine how many teams will participate, how many turns each team will have, and how points will be awarded or deducted for correct or incorrect answers. Set guidelines for discussion or collaboration within teams to encourage cooperation and active learning.
My rules were: Use a team captain so that there was a clear point of information for category selection and answers.
After giving the answer, ask, “Is that your final answer?” to make fairness transparent.
Gather the correct answer index cards by team to count up the points at the end rather than an ongoing tally throughout the game.
Where to Use the No-Tech Jeopardy Game
The versatility of the no-tech Jeopardy game allows you to integrate it into various aspects of your music curriculum. Here are some ideas:
- Classroom Learning: Use the game to reinforce musical concepts, review material, or introduce new topics. It’s an excellent tool for engaging students and assessing their understanding.
- Assessment: Create a jeopardy-style quiz to evaluate students’ knowledge before exams or as a formative assessment to gauge their comprehension throughout the semester.
- Music Clubs or Camps: Enliven music clubs or summer camps with the no-tech Jeopardy game. It will keep students entertained while reinforcing their musical skills.
ChatGPT It!
I asked ChatGPT – Give me 6 categories, each with 5 questions/answers for a Jeopardy game appropriate for elementary students that is about The Nutcracker ballet. Format it so that it uses $100, $200, $300, $400, and $500 questions. Try it!
If you want to know more about the latest in Artificial Intelligence in the classroom, check this out! Bots create it and then you upload to Google Forms, Kahoot, and other places? YES!
Let’s Share!
Write in the comments below the subject for YOUR favorite Jeopardy game.
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