Teaching Strategy: Collision!

I know what you're thinking - "this author wants to teach us about a game called 'Collision'? Oh, this can't be good."

Relax, take a sip of your coffee, and stop to learn this interactive teaching strategy.

Ingredients:

A class of students

An open area to move around

A list thought-provoking questions that can have multiple answers

Chairs (optional)

Directions (if using chairs):

1. Set the temperature of your classroom to "learned and need to review."
2. Add the students to the open area.
3. If using chairs, place them in a circle and make sure that the students have room to move in and out of them. There should be a handful less (1-5) chairs than students - just like you might play in musical chairs.
4. Have the students sit in the chairs except for the "leftovers." They stand in the middle.
5. Explain to the students that you're going to ask them a question. After you say the question, you're going to say the word "Collision!" nice and loud. Only then are they able to get out of their seats and try to find a new seat to sit in as a "base."
6. The only rule is they can't sit in the same seat or the seat to their immediate left or right.
7. They also cannot leave their base early. Doing so will automatically put them in the middle for that question.
8. Four out of the five times, the students who are "stuck" in the middle are going to answer the question. Repeat the question so the students can hear it a second time.
9. Every 5th time, the teacher has those who are stuck in the middle trade places with any other random student so that those replacements can answer the question.
10. Feel free to remove more chairs as the game continues to increase the competition.
11. Repeat as needed or until thought-provoking questions / time / students are exhausted.

Directions (the Mr. Miller Method, which is not using chairs):

1. Play the same way as above, except split the students into 2 groups.
2. One group will serve as the chairs / bases by planting their feet firmly in the ground and extending a closed fist in front of them. These students will all be facing the middle of the circle.
3. The other group (which there are a few more of than the "bases") will face an initial "base" partner with their back to the middle of the circle, except for a few extra who are in the middle.
4. Just like in the above directions, students will stay connected to their "base" via a fist bump until they hear the word "Collision!"
5. After that, they need to release from their "base" partner and find a new one. Just like above, it can't be immediately to the left or right.
6. Before you read the next question, ask the students to "Switch." The kids who were previously "bases" will now become participants, and vice versa.
7. Feel free to move more students to the middle as the game continues to increase the competition.
8. Repeat as needed or until thought-provoking questions / time / students are exhausted.

Notes: Feel free to use a chalkboard, SmartBoard, or white board to explain ahead of time. However, don't bet on that helping students to learn it. Just remind them it's a lot like musical chairs and it's meant so that nobody gets hurt. In 9 years of teaching, I've explained it well enough to them and encouraged them to be mindful of one another enough that I've never had a student experience injury. If students are too rowdy, immediately remove them from the game.

Otherwise, enjoy!