Zonk ESL Review Game
This is one of my absolute-favorite review games. It’s one of those games that has a thousand different names, but my friend Carol always called it the Zonk game, so it kind of stuck with me too. It requires almost zero preparation time, it’s a fast, efficient way to review, and students love the suspense of the game! Go out and try it—I know you’ll love it!
Materials: A deck of cards (Any kind)
Time: Variable, anywhere from 2-20 minutes
Preparation:
Separate special cards from normal ones
Lay cards out, facedown, on a table or desk up front.
Adjust number of cards to the amount of time you want to play (fewer cards = shorter game)
How to play:
Divide the class into teams, and let them choose some fun team names. Ask a question and allow any student from either team to answer. The first person to answer correctly can come to the front and choose one of the cards laid out across the table.
The number on the card will correspond with the number of points he just earned for his team. For example, if he flips over a card that says 1, his team will have just earned 100 points. If it says 7, then he earned 700 points. If, however, he flips over a “Zonk card,” his team loses all the points they’ve accumulated so far.
If you’re using a traditional poker deck, this special “Zonk” card could be a king, queen, jack, or ace. If you’re using an UNO set, grab some of the “wild” cards or “draw 4” cards. If you’re using a deck of Skip-bo cards, then the “Zonk” card could be that “Skip-bo” card. Technically, you can use any set of cards you have on hand, as long as you designate some cards as “Zonk” cards.
This is a fantastic vocabulary review game, and the danger of drawing a Zonk card keeps students interested, and on the edge of their seats!
Tips:
Don’t tell the students how many special cards there are. When they know, they lose a bit of that suspense you’re going for. (This is why I prefer to use Uno or Skip-bo decks, because if you use normal playing cards, they can predict how many kings or queens there are.)
This is a review game that works well for longer time periods. If I just want to have a quick, 5-minutes review, I won’t usually use this one. I’ll save it until there’s a lot to review, because students don’t usually get bored of it too quickly.
If you’re counting the points yourself, try not to play this game on a day when you’re sick or just exhausted. I’ve played it before while having a cold, and I had a terrible time trying to do the math on the board.
Keep track of scores on the board instead of on a personal piece of paper. Seeing the scores being updated after each drawn card keeps the students engaged.