At Create a Test we love tests. Sadly, the same isn't necessarily true of all students, but they do play an important role in every student's development. So here are a few fun ways to inject a little bit of added interest into your tests or worksheets.
Change the names
The easiest way to inject a bit of interest into your tests is to switch the names in your questions. You could include the names of your students, or their teachers, or even celebrities. Sure, your students could work out how many sweets Anna has left after she shares them with Bobby, but we suspect that they’d probably rather work out how many seconds Justin Bieber would take to hit the floor if pushed off a cliff.
To keep things a little more educational, why not insert the names of a few famous Mathematicians? Then have your students pick one to research as a homework assignment.
Add a hidden challenge
Why not hide an extra question in your test or worksheet—within the answers! For example, try creating and algebra worksheet where answers form a Fibonnaci sequence. Or where all of the answers are prime. Once they finish the paper, tell them that there is a pattern in the answers and that there’s a prize for the first person to crack it.
Make it topical/themed
Why not theme a test based on a film or TV series? Seasonal quizzes can also be fun. We’ve got a bit of a wait now until Halloween or Christmas come around again, but you could still attempt a Valentines test, or an Easter themed worksheet.
Just remember to keep it appropriate. Unlike this teacher from Alabama…
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/teacher-hands-out-racist-maths-8102439
Rhyming Questions
If you find yourself with time,
why not make your questions rhyme?
The added fun could have an effect,
your kids might get the answers correct.
Ok, so that was terrible. We're sure that you can do much better though.
Fun to finish
Just finished putting together a particularly challenging paper? Why not finish with a trivia question? Or ask your students to draw something, with an extra mark available for the best effort.
Have you tried any of these? Do you have any other tricks for making your tests or worksheets more fun and engaging? Let us know and we’ll add them to the list. Email us at info@createatest.co.uk or tweet us @createatest.