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Hands down, my favorite review game is “Trash”ketball. I have fun every time my students play it and my students LOVE it. I’ve even had former students come by and ask me to teach their current teachers how to play it.
Hands down, my favorite review game is “Trash”ketball. I have fun every time my students play it and my students LOVE it. I’ve even had former students come by and ask me to teach their current teachers how to play it.
I didn’t come up with this idea myself; I think it's been around awhile. I have played this game many times and have added my own spin and extra rules.
How to Play Trashketball
First, you need a bunch of worksheets that practice the desired skill. I normally have 1-2 worksheets for each skill of the unit. The game works best if you have about 10 worksheets. The students will not get to all of the worksheets, that’s expected.
When I play Trashketball, I typically make my own worksheets. They’re not pretty at all (sometimes it’s just photocopies of problems I have written on paper with a marker), but it doesn’t really matter. If you don’t want to make your own worksheets, there are multiple places online where you can get free worksheets (I like Kuta).
Notice that all of the worksheets have a large letter at the top. This is so that you can quickly differentiate between worksheets. This game can get fast-paced, so details like this are important.
Make a key for all of the worksheets. I usually draw blanks for the students to write their answers on; it makes checking much faster for me. Sometimes, I won’t check their individual answers, I just make them put the sum at the top of the page.
I like to write my answers in marker and staple all of the keys together. I can check faster that way. Do whatever will be quickest for you.
I like to write my answers in marker and staple all of the keys together. I can check faster that way. Do whatever will be quickest for you.
Read also: Review Game: Let the Cards Decide
Make a zillion copies. Yes, this game is a MAJOR tree killer. That’s why I only play it a couple of times per year. I’m sure there are ways to go around this. Part of the allure of this game is that you get to throw wadded up paper. When you make your copies, make them collated. Then, when you pass out papers each student will get a different paper without any extra effort from you.
Read also: 12 Great Ways to Review Math Vocabulary
I also like to print a roster of my students so that I can keep track of which students have completed which worksheets. I’ve found that this dramatically reduces cheating attempts, helps me keep an eye on students that may be struggling, and helps me identify superstars. This is totally optional.
Set up trashcans and a “foul line”. I have two trash cans, so I make one close for a “one-pointer” and one farther away for a “two-pointer”. Sometimes I allow pre-approved trick shots for a “three-pointer”. Trick shots I’ve allowed in the past include throwing it over your shoulder, throwing it with your non-dominate hand, and the whole class drumming on their desk to distract you. Three-point shots can get rowdy, so know your class and your re-directing abilities. :)
Pass out a worksheet to each student. Students will work on the worksheet. When they are finished, they will come to you to check it.
Check the worksheet. I typically do not tell my students which problems that they missed, only how many problems they missed. If the student missed any questions, they go back to their seat to figure out where they went wrong. If the student is correct, they get to “shoot”.
I make the students keep score themselves. I also tell them that if there is even an inkling of cheating, gameplay will stop immediately and the rest of the worksheets will be homework. I have smaller classes, so I usually do two teams and have them keep score on the whiteboard.
Read also: Boom - A Fun Review Game
One of the cool things about this game is that you can tweak the rules to fit whatever your students need. You can have your students work in partners or work alone. Students can be allowed to use their notes or have to do everything from memory. There is no one certain way to play this game. If you want to play, but don't want to kill a forest, this Nerf basketball set
is pretty cool. Students could work on whiteboards and shoot into the basket.
is pretty cool. Students could work on whiteboards and shoot into the basket.
I played this when my students were practicing special right triangles. You can download the worksheets that I used here and here. The answer key is not included.
You should try this game; it’s a blast!
