Round Tables

This is part 4 of 5. These posts discuss possible activities for math reviews that can also teach test-taking skills.



Review Activities to Make Real Students
Predicting Exam Questions
Expert Study Teams
Problem Trees: A Graphic Organizer



Disclaimer: The title of this post reflects the name of a math review activity and should not be confused with the round table associated with Arthur and his knights.

Well, actually, I've never been able to think of a better name. The idea is that the students rotate from one group of desks to another. The size of the group is usually 4 so the desks are arranged in a spiral with each desk facing a different direction. I guess I could have called it spiral tables, but here's how it works.

Each group is given an index card with one or two review questions on it. The students are given 5 - 8 minutes (depending on the type of problems) to answer the questions. At the end of the time, the students rotate to the next set of desks where they will find the answers to their questions on the back of the next card. Simple.

I like this activity because it gives the students immediate feedback. My students also seem to ask more questions during this type of review. When I started writing this post I didn't think the activity had much to do with test-taking strategies. Then I realized that the students are doing problems and assessing themselves right away, which is what they should be doing as they study for an exam. The problems on the cards are also a nice preview of what the test will look like. Now the trick is to get my students to understand and better utilize these very rudimentary procedures.