When we play Jeopardy in the class, I write categories such as "Characters," "Themes," "Symbols," "Literary Terms," or "Literary Movements" on the board, then the numbers one through five underneath each category. Jeopardy requires even more preparation than Family Feud,since I must make sure the questions under each category become increasingly difficult. Teams will receive one point for answering question one correctly, but five points for answering question five correctly, so the complexity of the questions must correspond with the point differential. The class must work its way through each category, beginning with number one. (I erase the numbers once the corresponding question is answered.) The answers, of course, must be in the form of a question, so that if I said, "This character is the anti-hero in the novel," the students would have to respond, "Who is (the name of the character)?"

The most notable success of the game show method has been with the typically poor performers on tests. Because they have had the material organized for them in a way that is easier to absorb, and because they enjoy working with the material via the game format, they can more readily provide the required information on the exam. Another bonus is that students are less likely to skip class when they know that class time will be fun and beneficial, since the questions used during the game give them an opportunity to see what the instructor considers important. My student evaluations in the classes in which I use dynamic exercises like these games are invariably favorable.

I am quite certain that the game show method can be applied to almost any subject matter. I have yet to incorporate some of the more recent game shows into my lesson plans, but I am sure that with a little imagination, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? can be adapted to the classroom setting quite ingeniously. That will be my next project. Another game format that works well in the classroom is Trivial Pursuit.