Independent vs Dependent Variables Review Game

I created this ghosts in the graveyard review game to give my Algebra 1 students some much needed practice with independent vs dependent variables.

Ghosts in the Graveyard is an incredibly versatile review game structure that I learned about from Math Tales From the Spring. It’s October, so the theme is appropriate. But, you could change the theme to match whatever holiday is nearest.

This game was the perfect way to review independent and dependent variables after being out of school five days (three school days plus a weekend) for fall break.  

I made eight challenge cards for my students to work through in pairs.  The sentences on these cards were taken from worksheets I found online.  This is the worksheet I stole from the most.  

Students were also given a sheet to write all of their answers on to be checked.  I found that this activity works best with students in pairs.

With this sheet, students were able to start with the challenge number of their choice.  I tried playing this game once without a recording sheet like this, and it was quite chaotic.   

After each pair would finish a challenge, they would bring it up to my desk to be checked.  Since each challenge had three different questions, one of two things would happen.  I would tell them that they were all correct and give them a ghost to place in the graveyard, or I would tell them the number of questions that were correct or incorrect.  They became very mad at me when I wouldn’t tell them exactly which questions were correct or incorrect.  It’s okay.  They lived.  And, they were able, usually, to figure it out themselves!    

To make giving out ghosts easy on myself, I found a ghost clipart picture and printed it out a zillion times.  

The group members would write their name on their ghost and tape it to the tombstone of their choosing on the dry erase board.  When there were five minutes remaining in class, I would announce the point values of each tombstone.  I chose point values of 10, 20, 25, and 50 points.  I just wrote these on a sticky note and stuck them on the tomb stones.

I did try playing this with six tombstones once instead of four.  It didn’t work out nearly as well, but that was also the same game in which I tried playing it in 25 minutes instead of a full 50-minute period.  This game really does need a full 45-50 minute period to work well.