Starting the 2nd Half of the Year by Reviewing the 1st Half

After 2 weeks off for the Christmas holidays, religious education sessions are scheduled to be back in session tomorrow evening. Of course, we’re keeping an eye on the weather here in Chicago. Schools are closed today with a foot of snow on the ground and temps at -10 degrees (for a high!). Tomorrow it’s supposed to get up to a balmy zero degrees for a high!

snow 2014In the Book of Job, God responds to Job’s laments about suffering by asking him a series of “where were you?” questions about where Job was when God was creating the cosmos. One of the questions is, “Have you entered the storehouse of the snows?” (Job 38:22) In Chicago, this winter, it feels like we can answer, “With all respect, Lord, I believe the answer is “YES!”  🙂 Here’s a pic of my backyard!

Anyway, my plan for the first night back is to review the major themes we covered in the first part of the year using a Jeopardy-like review on a PowerPoint presentation (which I will project with an LCD projector).

Jeopardy-Like Review for 6th grade – 2014

Here’s a word or two about using the PPT so that you can adapt it to your own needs. You can make changes as you would to any PowerPoint slide.

To make matters more simple, I am NOT following the game-show pattern of presenting the answer first and requiring the “contestants” to respond in the form of a question! Thus, the slides lead with a Question followed by an Answer.

  • The PPT is saved in Microsoft Office PowerPoint 97-2003 format
  • To link the squares on the “game board” (the first slide) to the correct Q and A, open the presentation in Normal View (not slideshow) and highlight the numbers in the selected square (for example, 100 under Bible Basics) you wish to hyperlink and right click. Then, select Edit Hyperlink and link it to the slide that proposed the question. (If no link exists, click on Hyperlink)
  • To hyperlink the Question slide to the Answer slide, highlight the textbox (not just the text, but the whole textbox) and right click on the textbox. Then, select Edit Hyperlink and link it to the slide that contains the answer. (If no link exists, click on Hyperlink)
  • Each Answer slide should contain the little “Home” button in the lower right corner which is linked back to the “game board.”
  • Once all of your slides are in place and hyperlinked properly, select the first slide (the game board) and go to Slide Show view.
  • When a square on the game board is selected, click on it, and it will take you to the slide with the Question.
  • After a contestant offers an answer, click on the slide with the Question, and it will take you to the slide with the correct answer.
  • Finally, hover your mouse over the “Home” button on the Answer slide and it will take you back to the game board.
  • You’ll note that the questions that have already been selected have now changed from yellow to black so that you can keep track of which are still available for selection.

You can decide if you want contestants or teams of contestants to select the category and square of their choice or if you simply want to go through them in order. It’s also good to pause after each answer to ask the students to elaborate more on the story in question.

This always makes for a fun, engaging, and effective review, which I often use before giving an assessment (quiz or test). In this case, I’ll be giving a Ten Commandments quiz following the review game.

Keep warm and dry friends!

About Joe Paprocki 2742 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

6 Comments

  1. thanks so much for sharing this, Joe! I had been doing the ole paper or whiteboard method, but this is way modern!! 🙂 I will use this next opportunity. stay warm too!

  2. Dear Joe,
    I receive regularly whatever you share with us in …Catechist’s Journey. I am deeply grateful. Thank you, heartily and with my poor prayers. I encourage you to keep it up.
    Recently I have read about how to assess whether one is ready for confirmation or not. It is our responsibility. How can we help parents see if child is ready to receive sacrament ….. set of questions.
    Cannot trace this article. And I need it urgently. Can you help me ??
    Emmanuel Catania from MALTA

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