Have you been struggling to find fun ways for students to review vocabulary words for biology?
I know the feeling. When I first started teaching, I didn’t understand how important biology vocabulary was to incorporate into my classroom. I figured that through learning the content, they would inevitably learn the biology vocab. While this was somewhat true, I found that most of them were still getting stumped by basic biology vocab definitions. I started using flashcards and that was helping and we did some other biology review games, but they weren’t much fun. If you are like me, then you want the kids to have fun while learning. Memorizing biology definitions from paper flashcards is so old-fashioned and not very engaging. Over the years, I found what works and what doesn’t. If you are ready to ramp up your vocab game, then keep reading.
Why is learning biology vocabulary definitions important?
So why is learning vocabulary in biology important anyway? Research has shown that science relies heavily on students understanding new terms and concepts. Not only should they understand the terminology, but they should also be able to understand it in context. Check out The Importance of Vocabulary for Science Learning if you are interested in hearing more.
So, here are 5 exciting and fun ways to practice vocabulary for biology.
ONE |Quizlet
This has to be one of my favorite resources I use in my classroom to practice biology vocab. If you have not heard of Quizlet, then you should definitely check it out. Quizlet started as a digital flashcard website but has grown to include so much more. The great thing about Quizlet is that it is free to use and even students can create their own flashcards.
New features that Quizlet has are:
- Learn: This is where the vocabulary is turned into multiple-choice questions in which they select the best answer.
- Test: The vocabulary is turned into 5 questions where the students must type out the word. This one is hard especially if they do not know how to spell the words.
- Write: similar to test, but each vocab word is individually used for practice and students type out the answer. I like how this places the cards into a pile of correct or incorrect so students know which ones they should focus on.
- Spell: students see the definition and can listen to the vocab word to practice spelling the word. This would be great practice for ESL students.
- Matching: This is like the matching games we used to play on our desks with cards except, digital.
- Gravity: simulates asteroids falling and students must answer the questions correctly to protect the planet.
- Live: is a competition where students are randomly put into groups and must play with each other to answer the questions correctly. This is my favorite feature of Quizlet. I love how excited, loud, and competitive my kids get when we play it in class. They beg me to play this and I am happy to do so! This gets the kids out of their seats and working with students they do not normally pair up with and they must work as a team to complete each round. On the board, the teacher projects the leaderboard which is where the magic happens. I love how kids get really into it when their team is close to winning and the other groups step up their game. So.Much.Fun. Give it a try and you won’t be disappointed! Click here, if you would like access to my already made Quizlet vocabulary.
TWO | Taboo
Ever played the game taboo? You know, the one where you have to describe a word to your teammate without saying the other “off-limit” words on the card. I loved that game as a kid and have used it in my classroom. The kids especially love to buzz each other when they slip up and say an “off-limit” word. You can make any unit of biology vocab into a taboo game.
THREE | Headband Game
This one is low-tech and can be done when you are short on time or just need to fill in the last 10 minutes of class. I print out the vocabulary from my Quizlet sets and cut them all out. I make about 8 sets to put them into Ziploc bags and pass them out to the students. The word is on one side and the definition is on the other side. This works best for working with a partner. One student will hold a card up to their forehead with either the word or definition side facing their partner. The other student will describe the word or read the definition off so the student holding the card can guess it. As students work through the word, they can lay them down in 2 discard piles of correct or incorrect. This will allow them to go back to the incorrect ones for further practice. Once the words are completed, the students switch and start over.
FOUR | Bingo
Bingo is one of those staple games that I feel like kids still like to play. I like using bingo for review especially on those units that have a lot of vocabulary such as evolution. Sometimes, I like to play this game as a whole class with multiple versions of the board and sometimes I like to break kids into groups. I love Bingo because it is a low-tech option that still has a lot of excitement. Especially when there are prizes involved. You could play it where they have 4 5 in a row across or down or diagonal or you can even play blackouts where they have to have the entire board completed. I find this game to be still very competitive with the students and this is one of those that they beg me to play.
FIVE | Password Game
The password game is one that I like and is it good for review especially when you have about 5 to 10 minutes left of class and you don’t want us to just sit around doing nothing. This is a great interactive game that is super low-tech. It’s very similar to the headband game except for one student sits in the front of the class facing the class while a vocabulary word is projected on the overhead. Students in the class must describe the vocabulary word or give the definition without actually saying the word the stipulation I give them also is that they can’t say sounds like or rhymes with or opposite of.
I want them to truly play the game by reciting the vocabulary definition because knowing what it rhymes with does not help them understand the vocabulary term in its context. time to make a bunch of different password games you could give students the PowerPoint templates and have them choose the vocabulary words to type in and they could save it and send it back to you. That will be a great way to have students involved in the selecting of the vocabulary but also take some of the grunt work off of the teacher.
Ways to Incorporate into your Classroom
Some fun ways to practice vocabulary for biology in your classroom is to use this at the beginning of class as a quick review or a warm-up. You could use it in the middle of class to break up some content and review concepts. Or, you may even use these at the end of class to review and kill those last 10 minutes of class. I would love to know how you have Incorporated these five fun ways to practice vocabulary for biology in your classroom. Comment below If you have any other examples to share! I absolutely love sharing with y’all and would love to connect on IG or Facebook. Follow me and send me a DM with what you need more of because I’m here to help!
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