Download the host sheet (.txt)
Choose the format that fits the lesson
| Format | Allow | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
| Think, pair, reveal | 10–15 min | You want every learner to attempt an answer. |
| Explain the error | 10–15 min | You want to uncover a misconception. |
| Category captains | 15–20 min | You want a shared-screen team board. |
| Question swap | 15–20 min | You want learners to practise writing precise questions. |
| Confidence check | 10–15 min | You want a quick record of what needs reteaching. |
1. Think, pair, reveal
Show one question. Give students 20 seconds to think alone, 30 seconds to compare with a partner, then have everyone show a written answer at once. Ask two pairs to explain different methods. Reveal the answer only after all pairs have committed.
Use five prompts for a short starter. Award one paper point for a correct answer, or skip points and record which ideas need revisiting. A wrong answer should still lead to a useful explanation.
2. Explain the error
Write a deliberately incorrect worked answer beside a question. Pairs identify the first incorrect step and replace it. For example: 'A rectangle is 7 cm by 3 cm, so its area is 20 square centimeters because 7 + 3 + 7 + 3 = 20.' The calculation finds perimeter; the area is 7 × 3 = 21 square centimeters.
Ask for both the corrected answer and the reason. Use the same paper rubric for everyone: one point for the correction and one for the explanation. This is a teacher-led scoring variation, not an automatic game mode.
3. Category captains
Create five categories with two questions each. Put students in mixed groups, rotate the person choosing a category, and let every group discuss the selected prompt. The active team gives its answer; classmates keep their own notes.
In Are You Smarter, one teacher can display a custom board and control the reveal. Keep answers off the shared screen until discussion ends. Use the app's existing turn and scoring flow, or keep a separate paper tally if everyone answers simultaneously.
4. Question swap
Give pairs a concept, such as equivalent fractions, and ask them to write one question, one correct answer, and one explanation. Another pair tries it and flags any ambiguity. Authors revise the wording before the class uses the question.
Require a checkable answer. 'What is a good fraction?' is too vague; 'Which fraction is equal to 2/3: 4/6 or 3/4?' has a clear answer. The teacher verifies questions before manually adding them to a game board.
5. Confidence check
Students answer privately and mark their confidence as low, medium, or high. Reveal the answer and ask them to correct their reasoning in another color. Collect the sheets to choose the next lesson's starting point.
Do not award points for confidence itself. A confidently wrong answer is useful information for planning, not a reason to penalize a student. Offer a spoken or typed response when handwriting is a barrier.
Ten original prompts to try the formats
This mixed-subject set demonstrates the formats. Replace prompts with material your students have studied; it is not a curriculum-aligned assessment.
Warmup
What is 3/5 of 20?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: 12
20 ÷ 5 × 3 = 12.
Warmup
What is the area of a rectangle 7 cm long and 3 cm wide?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: 21 square centimeters
Area is length times width: 7 × 3.
Warmup
Which process changes liquid water into ice?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: Freezing
Freezing is a change from liquid to solid.
Warmup
In grass → caterpillar → bird, which organism eats the producer?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: The caterpillar
Grass is the producer; the caterpillar eats it.
Warmup
Which word is the adjective in 'The narrow bridge shook'?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: Narrow
It describes the bridge.
Warmup
What does 'preview' mean if 'pre-' means before?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: View or look at something beforehand
The prefix changes when the viewing happens.
Warmup
On a north-up map, which direction is at the bottom?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: South
South is opposite north.
Warmup
What distance does 4 cm represent if 1 cm equals 3 km?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: 12 kilometers
Multiply 4 by 3.
Warmup
Which is a firsthand source: a traveler's diary or a later summary of that diary?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: The traveler's diary
It records the writer's own experience.
Warmup
In the repeating pattern circle, square, triangle, circle, square, triangle, what comes seventh?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: Circle
Each group has three shapes. The seventh begins the third group.
Use the next 15 minutes
To use the sample set digitally, enter two prompts in each of five categories: Math, Science, Language, Maps, and Evidence & Patterns. For Multiple choice, provide four choices and mark the correct one. Complete the required Final Challenge, then preview. An account is required to create a game.
One Final Challenge could be: “Find three fifths of 20, then double your answer.” Choices: 12, 15, 24, and 40. Mark 24 as correct: 20 ÷ 5 × 3 = 12, and 12 × 2 = 24. This is in addition to the ten category prompts.
- Minutes 0–2: state one review goal and model a response.
- Minutes 2–10: use five prompts with the chosen format; pause when a misconception appears.
- Minutes 10–13: revisit one question using a second method or explanation.
- Minutes 13–15: ask each student for one corrected answer and one remaining question.
Use this with the game
Create your own game. An account is required. Add selected questions manually and preview before hosting.