Academic Vocabulary Units A Guess The Word PowerPoint Game

Academic vocabulary is very important and all teachers are being pressured to provide as much exposure to academic vocabulary terms as possible. These vocabulary activities were created to go along with National Geographic Cengage’s Inside curriculum, level A (blue book, 2014 edition), but it is not necessary to be using this curriculum to use this resource. Each unit includes the 8 academic vocabulary words for each of the eight units. Since the curriculum repeats some words this resource also repeats some words.

On each slide, students are shown a definition for one of the academic vocabulary words. Students then click on letters in the Alphabet Bank to spell the term. Once a letter in the Alphabet Bank is clicked on, it disappears. If the letter is part of the academic vocabulary word, it appears on the correct line of the clue/answer section. The slides are designed so if a student accidentally clicks on the definition or other part of the side, it goes nowhere. The only way to play the game is to click on the letters in the Alphabet Bank. The only way to advance to the next word is to click the Next Word button.

The game can be played as a whole class by dividing students into teams and allowing them to take turns trying to guess the word by calling out letters (or clicking on the letters themselves if you have a smart board). Alternatively, students can play individually, in pairs, or small groups using an iPad, Chromebook, laptop, or other individual device.

Each word has a different maximum point value. To score a word, after the term has been fully spelled out, count the number of letters in the word and the number of letters remaining in the Alphabet Bank. The total is the points to be awarded the student/team for that word. You will need to keep score in a different location (on a whiteboard or separate sheet of paper).

Here are the directions I give students when they play individually or in small groups:

1. Read the definition.

2. Click on the letters to spell the term that matches the clue.

3. If you are correct, the letter will appear on the appropriate line(s).

4. If you are incorrect, the letter will disappear.

5. To figure your score for each word, add up the total number of letters in the word plus the number of letters remaining in the Alphabet Bank.

6. To proceed to the next word, click Next Word.

7. The person with the highest score at the end of the game is the winner.

Please note: due to animation triggers, this game will not work in Google Slides.