Beer Pong - a revision technique?!

Many thanks to Laura Markwell for this excellent guide:

With GCSE’s in full flow we may be asking ourselves what is the best way to revise with year 11 (or for that matter any year group). One effective teaching strategy that has great success is the use of ‘beer pong’ in the classroom, with the new name of ‘revision pong’. This is a perfect tool for focusing on key words or revision questions. From my own experience it builds a sense of excitement and competition in the classroom and it even has the benefit of engaging those pupils who often seem disengaged. I have had many positive experiences using the game from Year 9 to Year 11, with the pupils bursting at the idea to play it. So how do you set up such a revision game?

1.  You will need to buy 2 or 3 beer pong sets. Having multiple sets will allow group sizes to be small, therefore increasing the number of questions that the pupils will have to answer. This will also limit the possibility of pupils going off task as they wait their turn.
2.   In each of the cups there is either a question the pupils should answer or a key word the pupils should define.
3. The ‘revision pong’ is laid out as the picture shows and the pupils assemble themselves into their small groups of 3 or 4.
4. The aim of the game is to throw the ping pong ball into the opposite teams cups, with the winning team being the first team to remove all of the opponent’s cups.
5.  If the ball lands into a cup on the opponent’s team, the opposition must either answer the question or define the key word. If they struggle the team should alert the teacher who will give them assistance. Once the team has answered the question or defined the key word, the cup is removed from the game and it is now their turn to throw the ping pong ball and the game continues until all cups are removed.

I have attached examples of keywords and questions. These are relevant to the GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition specification but could be adapted and changed for other subject areas:

Keywords	Questions
Kneading	What is the difference between shortcrust and puff pastry?
Proving	What is a deficiency of vitamin C?
Enzymic browning	How can you prevent cross contamination of meat products in the fridge?
Resting	What is required by law on a food label?

If you want any more insight into how to use this teaching strategy please do not hesitate to contact Laura Markwell.