GRADES 4 TO 6

Curriculum tie-ins

Any curriculum area can be chosen (spelling, math, history, geography, etc.).

Hockey Drills

This activity makes any routine learning drill lots of fun! Whether you're reinforcing multiplication tables, division, historical information, geographical facts or spelling-words, try this hockey-based game to get your class fired up to compete in a fun atmosphere. In this activity, the classroom becomes an arena and the teacher becomes the quiz master/referee.

Here's how it works:

Divide the class into two teams. Assign one student on each team to be a goalie. The other students, who are players, are lined up in order with the goalie at the end of the line.

Address a question to the first player on each team. As in any drill, the object is to be the first to answer. If the first student to answer gives an incorrect response, the other team's player is given the opportunity to answer the question. (If neither student answers correctly, the same two players are given another question.) The player who gives the first correct answer may then choose one of the next two players in the other team's line-up to compete against for the next question. Usually, the player will choose a student that he or she feels has weaker skills. This results in more opportunities for the weaker students to be drilled.

As correct answers are given, players continue to choose their next rival, working their way down the other team's line-up. The goalie is the last person at the end of each team's line. If a team's goalie answers correctly, then that team wins the game. If a player on the other team, competing against the goalie, answers correctly, then their team has won. The process begins again, and as many games can be played as time permits. For example, if three games are played, the best of three wins the tournament.