Risk It All

There is a game I play with my classes that all my pupils love (they even request it). I call the game RISK.

Here’s how to play:

• Each pupil in the class is given a mini whiteboard, pen and cloth
• I get each pupil to draw a margin down the right hand side of the board and write 30 points at the top of the margin

• I ask a question to the class – it can be on any topic for extra practice or review
• when the pupil has answered the question on the whiteboard they write down how many points they want to bet on whether they have answered correctly. If confident they can bet many points, if not then bet just one point.
• if the pupil gets the answer correct they add the bet onto their points to get a new total
• if the pupil gets the answer incorrect they subtract the bet from their points to get a new total
• the pupil now has a new total of points to bet
• the aim of the game is to get as many points as you can

Why I love the game:

• it can be as long or short as I want
• it needs no prior preparation – unless the questions are too complicated for me to work out the answer alongside the pupils
• the pupils answer so many questions without realising how much work they are actually doing
• it allows me to see which pupils are confident and correct, confident but incorrect, unsure but correct or struggling and know it
• it encourages all pupils to have an attempt – they can bet as few as one point if not confident

Why pupils love the game:

• they love anything that involves competition
• they love using the mini whiteboards
• they get immediate feedback
• it’s fun

I enjoy playing RISK so much. There have been times where pupils shout and cheer when they get a correct answer and their enjoyment is contagious.

I would highly recommend giving it a try.

Variations of the game:

• start with a different amount of points
• limit the pupils to be only able to bet up to a maximum number of points
• allow pupils to ask questions as well – the asker has to get the correct answer to gain their points