Explore 19 Principles of Democracy review games designed by a teacher to engage students and reinforce curriculum. When students are having fun, they forget they are reviewing, making games a great way to practice Social Studies.

• In The BIG TERRIBLE Game, every team answers every question and earns unpredictable positive or negative points while trying to finish closest to zero.
• In FRAZZLED, teams answer questions to uncover mystery points, but one wrong answer or unlucky bomb can completely change the game.
• In BUMP, correct answers earn students shots at the platform, where they can score even more points by bumping off opposing teams.
• In GRUDGEBALL, teams answer questions to fire on their opponents’ ships, then make baskets to earn even more shots.
• The TERRIBLE Game rewards correct answers with positive or negative points that students can strategically assign to their own team or their opponents.
• SCOOT combines review with movement as students rotate between desks and work their way through a set of topic-specific task cards.
• In TRASHKETBALL™, students compete to answer questions quickly and correctly to earn chances to shoot and score for their team.

A good review game can completely change the energy in the classroom and get students excited to practice what they’ve learned. The competition gets students paying attention to every question, communicating with their team, and getting genuinely excited when the answer is revealed. Play review games regularly and students start preparing for them, because just like sports, they know being ready gives them a better chance to win.

Games may feel like fun to students, but research shows they can be serious learning tools, with measurable benefits for achievement, retention, and engagement. See the research.