Revision Activities - Musical chairs

Despite being one of the best methods to revise for exams, the use of past exam papers can often raise a groan from the class. This approach was used to enliven the use of past exam material in an A2 Business Studies Lesson and based (very loosely) on the childhood game of musical chairs.

What needs to be done:

Choose some suitable music to play!

•Prior to the lesson, organise the students into 4 teams, mixture of abilities, they must elect a team captain.
•If the exam uses case study material or scenarios, give this out as homework for the students to read in preparation for the lesson.
•The classroom needs to be set up with 4 team tables.
•On each table, put a sheet of flip chart paper and in an envelope a different exam question taken from the paper.
•Give each team captain a different colour marker pen, this is their team colour and needs to be taken with them whilst on their rounds.

Assessment

Group Activity assessed by teacher observation looking at:

1.Content - quality of their contributions (identifiable through the use of different colour markers)
2.Ability to work as a team
3.Team captains’ ability to involve all members of the team.

Individual Activity assessed through marking using examination mark scheme

The Group Activity:

•Explain to the students that when the music starts they need to walk clockwise around the tables in their teams (my students appeared most impressed with my singalong to Duran Duran when I did this activity), when the music stops, they must sit down at that table and have 2 minutes to start planning an answer to the question in the envelope.
•When the music starts again, the teams move around the room and stop at the table they are at when the music stops. They must now continue with the answer, (started by the previous team) and perhaps amend, (if they feel this is necessary). At this point, the teacher could remind students on how to structure an answer, if appropriate to the question use DADDDO, Definition, Advantages, Disadvantages, Decision, Depends On. After 2 minutes, start the music again and repeat, until all teams have attempted all four questions.
•At the end of the round, pin up each question and answer plan on the wall.
•Allow the students to look at the plans, discuss and ask them to go and stand by the question they would be most confident in answering if they got it in the exam.
•Then, ask them to stand by the question they would be least confident in answering. (This is a great way to identify areas that may need to be revisited in the next lesson.)
•Ask the students to sit back down in their seats, they need to get out some paper and a pen.

Individually….

Using the mark per minute principle (20 marks = 20 minutes) , they must then complete a full answer to the question they feel most (or least) confident in answering in the time (this decision can be made by the teacher.)

Whilst the students are completing the individual exercise, the teacher can judge each team and their contributions to award the top team award at the end of the lesson.

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