Last week I had the pleasure of observing a co-taught math lesson at Bell Herron Middle School in Carrollton, Ohio. As a motivational strategy, the teachers had designed a “Minute to Win It” activity for students who answered a math problem correctly.  If you have not yet seen this game show, it is based on the idea that there are all kinds of tasks that can be done with simple materials found in the typical household. The tasks look easy at first, but can be quite challenging to accomplish in a minute.

To tap into their students’ interest in this game show, the teachers chose a few of the tasks that could be simulated in the classroom. The one I observed involved the reordering of plastic cups – moving the top to the bottom, over and over again, until each cup had been moved once. The teachers began by projecting a youtube video of the game show’s countdown music and visuals. All the students gathered around to watch and cheer on their classmate. One minute later, success or no, students were back to work on the next problem in hopes that they would get to try Minute to Win It.

Whenever students find something of interest, it makes sense to see if we can find ways to tap into this for learning motivation. So many of the games on Minute to Win It lend themselves to studying the math and science behind successful completion. They also require higher level thinking skills to develop a strategy for winning. Many of the games can also be altered slightly to reinforce specific content. For example, the cup stacking activity can be changed to work on patterning.

Here’s what I did – using a water-based marker, I put an even number on each of 30 cups. Next, I mixed them up and stacked them so that only one number was showing. The “contestant” has to rearrange them so that they are in correct order from 2 to 60 in a minute. (You could use fewer cups for younger students.) You could also do this with alphabetizing words, sequencing colors, or any other concept that has a hierarchical nature. By adding content to the cups, the contestant and observers engage in quick thinking about your topic!

Many teachers use the Frayer Model (1969) as a vocabulary application activity. The Frayer Model typically involves asking students to fold or divide their paper into four sections. In one quadrant the students write the word and definition, in another they write facts/characteristics, in another quadrant examples, and finally non-examples.

To mix things up a bit, last week I asked a co-teacher to replace her use of the Frayer Model in algebra with a Word Toss activity. We placed students into pairs and provided each pair with a die and a Word Toss worksheet. (See below. I'd be happy to email the worksheet to you!) Students were directed to role the dice and perform the task associated with the number on the face of their die.

The change in routine increased alertness by adding some novelty and tactile interaction to the lesson. Afterward, my co-teacher and I brainstormed alternative tasks that could go on the Word Toss worksheet:

Educational experts suggest that each lesson should have a closure activity – something that wraps up the experience or gives students a chance to summarize their learning. Many teachers have chosen to use a Ticket–out-the-Door activity for closure and as a formative assessment.  This is an easy, multi-purpose strategy that can be used with almost any content or grade level.

However, tickets-out-the-door can lose their effectiveness with students if they are overdone. To avoid this problem, consider adding some variety to your tickets! The prompts below can be displayed on the board, reinforced with a printed visual on a ticket, or students can quickly draw the related shape on a scrap of paper. For black line masters of the ticket ideas below, email me at anne@ideasforeducators.com.

·      If you were to fill a grocery cart with key concepts from today’s lesson, what would it contain?

·      If this lesson were a pizza, what would the toppings be?

·      Write a news headline based on what you learned today.

·      What new learning will you walk away with today?

·      Write a recipe for _______________________________.

·      Write a text message summary of what you learned today.

·      How does this information relate to money (the economy, jobs, etc.)?

·      If this concept were turned into a menu, what would be the appetizer? Main dish? Dessert?

·      Complete an analogy, beginning with today’s concept…

·      Write a postcard to a friend or family member explaining what you did in class today.

Everyone in my household found a scratch-off lottery ticket in their stocking this year. We each experienced a few moments of hope and excitement as we carefully chose the spots to scratch. You can add that same fun* to your classroom instruction with scratch-off stickers. These are available from several websites and are fairly inexpensive. Just print out a list of review items – events, dates, vocabulary- and place a sticker over each item. You can also simulate the experience even less expensively by laminating your review list and dabbing a bit of poster paint over each item. When the paint dries it can be scratched off with a coin, revealing the item underneath.



Originally published in January, 2012. Today we used this strategy in a middle school science class. Each student made a prediction about the outcome of an experiment, then covered over their prediction with a scratch-off sticker. After the experiment, students swapped with a peer and scratched off to see if the predictions were correct. 

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Today I had the wonderful opportunity to co-teach English with Mary. Students are in the middle of reading Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. To start class with a novel hook, I showed them an orange and asked them to predict what an orange might have to do with the play. We were greeted by some puzzled expressions at first, but then students began to buzz with each other about possibilities. I tossed the orange around the room and we listened to their ideas.



“If you stab an orange, juice will spurt out, like when they stabbed Caesar and he bled out.”

“You can peel back the skin of the orange, kind of like they were trying to peel back the layers of power in Rome.”

“In The Godfather, an orange always meant someone was going to die. In JC there are predictions of someone dying.”

“If you go deeper than the skin you see something different. This is like the characters, one thing on the surface, but different deep down.”

Neuroscientist Judy Willis (yes, I am a fan!) tells us that novelty grabs attention and helps information to get past the RAS (Reticular Activating System.) Once information makes it past the RAS, the brain begins to make predictions. We can direct this impulse to support our content objectives! Students were engaged and thinking in creative, connected ways.  So grab a food item from your kitchen or pantry and give it a try!