Checks and Balances Quiz Show PowerPoint

Let’s face it – review of Checks and Balances is not exactly a student’s idea of fun. As a teacher, however, you can take away most of the boredom and drudgery by making a game out of it.

This 74 slide Quiz Show PowerPoint helps students review our government’s system of Checks and Balances by playing a fun and competitive game. Unlike the traditional quiz show game (which I cannot name due to copyright and trademark concerns!), this game’s format involves all students, working together in teams of 4-5 students each, answering all the questions as they compete against the other teams. Every student team answers every question, and all teams get points for correct answers, which keeps all students engaged until the final quiz show question – meaning that they’re all learning. Be prepared for noise!

The game is simple to set up (requiring only white boards and dry-erase markers for students), instruct and play, and students immediately become engaged in competing to be the team with the most correct answers. Question slides provide an act done by one of the branches of government, which students compete to answer correctly, and answer slides provide the correct answers along with a brief explanation. You can choose which slides to use depending on what material you covered in your particular unit.

Materials include:
*instructions (both as a word document and a PDF)
*74 slide PowerPoint (35 question slides and 35 answer slides, including 1 “final quiz show” question, with answer)

All materials are provided in one zip file.

You will need to provide a small white board and dry-erase marker for each group playing the game. I’ve played this game with my 8th grade class for years, and it never fails to be a big hit.

Created by Cliff Baker - Ye Olde History Emporium